Sheikha Moza opens Qatar Biobank building

HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser with the staff of Qatar Biobank after officially opening the building in Hamad Medical City. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL

QNA/DohaHH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), officially opened the Qatar Biobank building in Hamad Medical City yesterday. HE the Minister of Public Health and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) Abdullah bin Khalid al-Qahtani attended the opening ceremony along with Qatar Biobank Board of Trustees Chairperson Dr Hanan al-Kuwari and Vice-Chairperson Dr Asma al-Thani. Sheikha Moza toured the new state-of-the-art facility and examined the services it provides for citizens and residents alike. The inauguration of the Qatar Biobank building follows the conclusion of its two-year operational pilot phase. Qatar Biobank’s collection of samples and information on the health and lifestyles of large numbers of the national population makes vital medical research possible for scientists in Qatar, the region and the world. This contribution involves attending an assessment session at the Qatar Biobank clinic that lasts less than three hours, and comprises the collection of a series of measurements including an individual’s height, weight, blood pressure, and blood, urine and saliva samples. The health information obtained from medical records, DNA, lifestyle, and environmental exposures has the potential to provide further insights into the management and prevention of debilitating diseases common in Qatar. Announced by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser at the World Innovation Summit on Health (WISH) in Doha last year, the Qatar Genome Project, a genome mapping of the local population spearheaded by Qatar Biobank, signifies a notable change in future treatment through personalised healthcare. Sheikha Moza also visited the Translational Research Institute (TRI) which aims, through the collaboration of QF, Qatar University and HMC, at facilitating healthcare research in Qatar and enabling the translation of scientific discoveries to aid the development of new medicines, technologies and treatments for the benefit of patients.