Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Medical Research Centre recently organised the second assembly of the newly-established Research Forum programme. The Forum gathers on a regular basis to promote and encourage a strong research culture within HMC and Qatar, providing a platform where health professionals, residents, fellows and medical students can come together to exchange research ideas.
Speaking at the first Research Forum in August, Prof Ibrahim Janahi, executive director of Medical Research at HMC, had explained, the goals of the forum.  He said: “The Research Forum is designed to be a platform where anyone interested in research within HMC can gather to collaborate, find support, share their work and learn how best to carry out high-quality research.”
“Research is central to HMC’s healthcare vision and enables us to develop new and improved treatments, helping our dedicated teams deliver the safest, most effective and most compassionate care to our patients. This Forum enables us to strengthen our research capacity, leading to better research outcomes,” he added.
The first Research Forum addressed current stroke and neuroscience research in HMC and Qatar, and was led by Prof. Ashfaq Shuaib, director of neurosciences, and his team.
Each meeting of the Research Forum consists of two main segments designed to guide researchers and share research work across HMC.
They are ‘Bring Your  Research’,  a segment that brings together a panel of experienced researchers and scientists from within HMC to form the Research Support Committee. These experts offer advice and guide researchers on any aspect of clinical, public health, biomedical, molecular and basic science research.
The second segment is ‘Present Your Research’, which  provides an opportunity for researchers within HMC to present their ongoing or published research around a central clinical or research topic. Researchers are invited to present according to the relevant clinical or research topic for each assembly of the Research Forum.
Delegates at the second Research Forum heard presentations from a number of senior HMC leaders. Prof. Edward Hillhouse, chief of scientific, academic and faculty affairs at HMC, opened the event with a welcome message before Dr Furqan Irfan, lead, Research Forum, explained the concept of the Forum.
Cardiac researchers from HMC, led by senior consultant cardiologist and associate Prof. Abdurrazzak Gehani, and Qatar’s biomedicine research institutes gave presentations on key research undertaken on heart health.