Dr. Nayef Mazloum with WCM-Q students Ubaida Al-Aani, Sama Ayoub, and Lolwa Al-Abdulghani, who completed summer research projects.
Doha, Qatar: Students at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) gained valuable experience of biomedical research during the summer recess by joining laboratories at elite international universities including Imperial College London, Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, and Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas.
Thirty-seven WCM-Q medical students completed summer research projects as part of the college’s Advanced Biomedical Sciences Research (ABSR) elective course, which offers students the opportunity to pursue a personal scholarly experience in biomedical science.
The ABSR elective is open to students who have completed the first year of the medical curriculum and wish to graduate with honours in research and develop their scientific investigation and clinical research skills. A student-initiated programme, the ABSR invites interested students to submit research proposals for consideration, develop working relations with prospective mentors, and secure invitations to visit and collaborate on research projects.
The programme, which lasts eight weeks, offers a variety of experiences, including clinical research, laboratory research, social science, public health projects, and other translational projects. A total of 37 WCM-Q students completed research projects as part of the ABSR this summer. The majority of these students were awarded the Medical Student Research Award (MSRA), provided by the WCM-Q Research Division, to support their travel.
Student Ubaida Al-Aani joined the laboratory of Dr. Mehraneh Jafari, director of clinical research in the Colon and Rectal Surgery Division at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Centre. Throughout his time, Ubaida was involved in a number of projects including clinical trials working with novel surgical devices, early phase studies investigating cell therapies for chronic conditions, and population studies investigating socioeconomic factors impacting healthcare adherence.
Dr. Nayef Mazloum, associate professor of microbiology & immunology/associate dean for student research at WCM-Q, said: “The advanced biomedical sciences research elective course is an excellent way for our students to develop a number of important attributes, including critical thinking skills, an appreciation of the scientific method, and the ability to develop collaborative relationships with researchers and mentors.”
Student Sama Ayoub joined the laboratory of Dr. Xiaojing Ma at the William Randolph Hearst Microbiology Research Centre of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York to pursue research focused on cell senescence and cell cycle arrest to enhance anti-tumor immunity, the body’s natural defence mechanisms that target and eliminate cancer cells.
