Dr John Heath, section head of Neuro-oncology, and Dr Sergio Rutella, executive director of the Clinical Research Centre, Sidra Medical and Research Center (Sidra), have received cancer research grants worth $800,000 each for three years from Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).
Dr Heath will be conducting research into genetic predispositions to childhood cancer in the Qatari and GCC population. Dr Rutella will investigate the use of immunotherapy to fight blood cancers focusing on patients in Qatar and the Mena region. Both programmes are scheduled to start in January 2016.
“We are grateful to QNRF for recognising the importance of both the programmes and giving Dr Heath and Dr Rutella the opportunity to start groundbreaking research. We take immense pride in the quality and depth of our research programmes and the national and global relevance of them. We are committed to supporting Qatar’s national health and research strategies as well as the national cancer strategy by paving the way for research initiatives that will enable early risk identification and better treatment methodologies for cancer patients,” said Dr Francesco Marincola, chief research officer, Sidra.
The two programmes will feature Sidra-led teams collaborating with researchers and clinicians from Qatar and across the world including Germany, Italy, Pakistan and the USA. Using comparative data with other countries will improve overall knowledge of genetic risks in the case of Dr Heath’s research; while Dr Rutella’s programme will help establish a clinical and research network for immunotherapy treatment of acute childhood leukemia.
Dr Abdul Sattar al-Taie, chief executive, QNRF said, “Our selection of both the Sidra programmes underlies our mission to support initiatives that will develop Qatar into a hub for research excellence and align with the Qatar National Research Strategy. QNRF is a big supporter of medical and scientific research particularly those that will lay the foundation to equip Qatar with the resources, technologies and programmes to offer internationally respected healthcare and cancer services.”