Researchers at QBRI’s Neurological Disorders Research Center.
Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, a Qatar Foundation (QF) member is leading the region in accelerating research in dementia.
QBRI is working with Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in a study to identify dementia among Qatar’s population.
This partnership will enhance the country’s national strategy against dementia and accelerate research into the disease.
Someone in the world develops dementia every three seconds. According to the World Health Organization, this means there are 9.9 million new cases of dementia worldwide each year.
This neurodegenerative disorder usually affects people over the age of 65 and causes indescribable mental, physical, and financial stress on patients and their families, as well as the economies of their countries.
The need to accelerate research aimed at finding a cure for dementia has become as big a priority as battling diseases such as cancer or diabetes.
Dr Omar El Agnaf, Executive Director, QBRI, emphasized the need to increase public awareness and research dedicated to finding breakthroughs for dementia. “We adopt a holistic approach to research into dementia, because the link between neurological disorders in the elderly and other medical conditions is well documented,” he said. “For instance, patients with type 2 diabetes are three-to-four times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.”
“In addition, it has been reported that 50 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes will develop dementia. This means we cannot tackle one disease without tackling the other. Our study in collaboration with HMC & WCM-Q, will help us to better understand the clinical background, family history, and environmental and lifestyle factors related to dementia and type 2 diabetes. “As we have approached this study in a systematic manner, and are investing a considerable amount of resources and manpower, we’re confident that it will lead to important results,” he said.
Since its establishment in 2012, QBRI has evolved into an internationally recognized research facility. Its dedicated Neurological Disorders Research Center is unique to the region and explores brain-related disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism, and epilepsy, through national and international collaborations.
