Qatar Biobank will host the Second Qatar Biobanking Congress, in March, focusing on precision medicine initiatives in Qatar and around the world as part of its mission to bring personalised healthcare to the country.
Under the overarching theme, ‘The Impact of Biobanking on Precision Medicine Initiatives’, the conference will be held on March 14 and 15 at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
The two-day event will feature an international group of experts on biobanking, genomics and personalised medicine from around the world and the focus will be on using precision medicine to improve clinical outcomes. Sidra Medical and Research Center (Sidra) and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) are co-organisers of the congress.
Dr Asma Al Thani, Chair of Qatar Genome Programme Committee and Board Vice-Chairperson of Qatar Biobank, said, “By bringing together leading researchers, policy-makers and healthcare providers, the Second Qatar Biobanking Congress will advance the discussion of precision medicine around the world, and enable valuable knowledge sharing so that attendees may advance the efficiency and value of healthcare in their own countries.”
Qatar has made considerable efforts to move away from the ‘one size fits all’ approach to healthcare in the country with the aim of providing efficient and customised treatment for patients.
“Through precision medicine, medical practitioners in Qatar will be able to provide the right medicine for patients at the right time. This will help us prevent and cure many of the healthcare issues the local population face, or may face in the future,” said Dr Asma.
Launched in 2011, Qatar Biobank, a member of Qatar Foundation, recently welcomed its 5,000th Qatari participant to its programme. It collects biological samples from the local population in an effort to de-velop customised medical solutions to the various diseases and health issues prevalent in the country.
Qatar Biobank’s efforts will help researchers understand how lifestyle, environment and genes affect health locally, and eventually develop prevention and treatment plans tailored for each individual patient, as so-called ‘precision medicine’. Supporting that effort is Qatar Genome Programme, which is incubated under Qatar Biobank and recently sequenced its 3,000th genome.
Public will also be given an opportunity to take part in the debates. The wide ranging sessions and presentations will primarily be themed around a review of precision medicine initiatives in Qatar; ethical and Islamic perspectives on biobanking and genomic re-search; worldwide trends in precision medicine; and industry case studies from Qatar, the region and worldwide.
Dr Nahla Afifi, Scientific and Education Manager and Acting Director at Qatar Biobank, said, “The conference is carefully designed to provide tailored knowledge to participants, especially those directly related to the field of biobanking and genomic re-search. In addition to an array of informative topics and sessions, the core of the agenda revolves around the progress Qatar has made in terms of developing its own precision medicine initiatives.”
