Dr Jeremie Arash Rafii Tabrizi, associate professor of Genetic Medicine, spent four days running through the harsh conditions of the Qatari desert, covering the equivalent distance of eight-and-a-half marathons.

Setting off from the WCMC-Q campus in Education City, Dr Tabrizi headed north on Al Shamal Road as far as Al Ghuwayriyah, before turning southwest to reach Zekreet on the west coast. He then ran south to within approximately 30km of the border with Saudi Arabia before heading northeast towards Doha on Salwa Road, eventually arriving at the Corniche four days later.

Dr Tabrizi, who specialises in research into ovarian and breast cancer and runs the Stem Cell and Microenvironment Laboratory at WCMC-Q, said: “The main reason I wanted to run is that there is a real taboo in the Middle East around cancer. People who fear they have the disease can be very reluctant to seek treatment because of this taboo and I think that can change if people know more about cancer.”

He continued, “There is a widespread belief that if you are diagnosed with cancer, then it will definitely be fatal, but this is not correct at all. Because of this fear, patients in the Middle East often present with cancers that are well advanced because they don’t go to the doctor when they first realise something is wrong. I want people to understand that in many cases, cancer can be treated; for example, breast cancer can very often be cured with an operation and radiotherapy if action is taken at the appropriate time. So, my message is that if you think there is something wrong, don’t be afraid to go to see your doctor straightaway to get it checked.”

About the run, he said: “It was a tough experience but I hope it will have a positive effect in terms of raising awareness of women’s cancer issues and our research. The support for research in Qatar has been very strong and we are carrying out some very valuable studies at WCMC-Q. I hope we will be able to continue on this track.”

The gruelling challenge was run alone by Dr Tabrizi, with his wife driving a support vehicle carrying food, equipment and supplies. Dr Tabrizi organised the run independently and has named it the Qatar Ultra Running Event.

In 2012, Dr Tabrizi completed the 119km Ultra-Trail Mont du Blanc race that follows a mountainous route through France, Italy and Switzerland, but he said the run around Qatar was a very different experience.