Doha – May 6, 2025: Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) recently hosted its second annual Student Research Forum, showcasing 66 impressive scientific posters that demonstrate student innovation and scientific discovery.

The forum serves as a platform for WCM-Q students to showcase their research efforts, exchange insights, and engage in meaningful discussions with their peers and faculty members.

Attended by students, faculty, staff, and visitors, the one-day event was organized by the Student Research Forum Committee, which includes representatives from the divisions of Research and Medical Education at WCM-Q.

The forum began with welcoming remarks from Dr. Ziyad Mahfoud, professor of research in population health sciences, and Dr. Nayef Mazloum, associate professor of microbiology & immunology/associate dean for student research. Both faculty members at WCM-Q.

The keynote address was delivered by Professor Hanadi Sleiman, Canada Research Chair in DNA nanoscience at McGill University's Department of Chemistry. A fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), Prof. Sleiman is a pioneer in DNA nanotechnology. Her groundbreaking work involves designing DNA-based structures for applications in medicine, materials science, and nanotechnology. In her presentation, she explored how DNA nanostructures can be utilized as precision therapies.

Following the keynote, WCM-Q alumnus Dr. Tariq Chukir, assistant professor of medicine at WCM-Q, discussed the disparities between obesity management medications in clinical trials and their real-world applications. Dr. Chukir also serves as a consultant at the National Obesity Treatment Centre at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

Six oral research presentations were then delivered by students Latifa AlMahmoud, Pradipta Paul, Kevin Zhai, Hasan Alsetri, Nour Jaouni, and Fatima Almusleh. Their topics covered the impact of cyberbullying on adolescents, the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against pre-Omicron era SARS-CoV-2 infection, and corneal transplant risk factors, among others. The event concluded with the announcement of the winning students in the research contest.

Dr. Mahfoud said: 'Research is one of the key pillars for advancing science and improving patient care. We were delighted to once again provide our students with a platform to showcase their research, exchange ideas, and take their research capabilities to the next level.'

Dr. Mazloum said: 'This year, we were extremely proud to witness another impressive display of student innovation fueled by inspiring levels of determination and enthusiasm. I would like to sincerely thank our mentors for sharing their valuable expertise, as well as the divisions of Research and Medical Education for their ongoing support.'

The winners of the oral presentation awards in the Area of Concentration (AOC) category were Kevin Zhai in first place (mentored by Dr. Evan Noch, UT Southwestern Medical Center), Latifa AlMahmoud in second (mentored by Dr. Ziyad Mahfoud, WCM-Q), and Pradipta Paul in third (mentored by Dr. Laith Abu Raddad, WCM-Q). The winners of the oral presentation awards in the Medical Students Research Award (MSRA) category were Fatima Almusleh in first place (mentored by Dr. Vidya Mohammed Ali, University College London), Hasan Alsetri in second (mentored by Dr. Zeba Syed, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia), and Nour Jaouni in third (mentored by Dr. Teresa Milner, WCM).

The winners of the poster presentations awards in the AOC category were Aisha serpedin in first place (mentored by Dr. Anna Halama, WCM-Q), Shadi Mahmoud in second (mentored by Dr. Charbel Abi Khalil, WCM-Q), and Sara Mohamed in third (mentored by Dr. Ahmed Serag, WCM-Q). The poster presentation winners in the MSRA/Advanced Biomedical Sciences Research (ABSR) elective category were Fatima Al Mohammed in first place (mentored by Dr. David Kelsell, Queen Mary University of London), Zoya Salahuddin in second (mentored by Dr. Xiaojing Ma, WCM), and Maryam Al-Musleh in third (mentored by Dr. Nayef Mazloum, WCM-Q).