After 16 years as a faculty member and researcher at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA—specializing in breast cancer research—Dr. Thenaa Said joined QNRF in 2006. She is excited about the growth and development occurring in Qatar and the future of medical and all sectors of research therein.

Mr. Faisal Alsuwaidi's illustrious career began almost four decades ago when he began working for Qatar Petroleum (QP), rising to become QP's Administration Director. In 1997, he became the Vice Chairman and CEO of Qatargas, where he oversaw the construction and realization of LNG trains that are still the largest in the world, while Laffan is the largest condensate refinery in the world. As Qatar Foundation's President of Research and Development, Mr. Alsuwaidi brings a wealth of management and strategic experience to the research sector of Qatar Foundation. This interview highlights his transition, his vision for more collaboration among institutions and the power of the recently-unveiled National Research Strategy.

Dr. Abdulnasser Al-Ansari holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Miami, Florida, USA, with a focus on biometrics, computer vision and pattern recognition as well as signal and image processing. He published more than 13 papers in internationally-recognized journals covering these topics while completing his PhD. Dr. Al-Ansari possesses a wealth of experience in research collaboration, peer reviewing, proposal preparations and fund management procedures

The fifth Annual Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) Competition concluded with students from Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) winning first place for their project which examined the effects of ultra-high pressures and temperatures on oil–based drilling mud.

At the end of February, QNRF launched its new app to expand the channels of communication between the funding organization and the researchers it serves. Within the first month it had been downloaded over 2,000 times.

March saw a QNRF presence at the British Council's "Going Global 2013" conference in Dubai. The theme "Global education: knowledge-based economies for 21st century nations" reflected the ever-increasing internationalization of education and attracted distinguished representation from around the globe.

Researchers at the Section of Clinical and Metabolomic Genetics at Hamad Medical Corporation have received the "Princess Aljawhara Center Award for The Best Research In Basic Genetics" from the Saudi Arabian institute. This is one of the most competitive and prestigious awards in the region, where researchers from outside and within Saudi Arabia (including the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center) are  invited to present their research.

 Once again the time has arrived for QNRF's Annual Forum which not only gives QNRF staff an opportunity to network and meet the research community, but also presents a perfect opportunity to update everyone on the latest developments related to QNRF's activities. The highlight of the event, to be held at Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, on Tuesday, the 14th of May, from 9am to 1.30pm, will be the announcement of the eagerly-awaited outcome of 6th cycle of the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP).

The treatment of open wounds is something that we take for granted as a systemized approach to health. Yet, the history of wound care as we know it spans back just 200 years. It was only in the early 1800s that Hungarian physician Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis proposed hand washing as an approach that could prevent infection. Physician Joseph Lister took this insight forward to treat surgical gauze with carbonic acid, which cut his surgical team’s mortality rate by nearly half. Today, the field of wound care is in the midst of a similar kind of transformation based on moisture and pH monitoring. Research in Qatar is making a significant contribution to this next leap forward.

Seat belts and smart cameras are a few ways that automobiles actively protect passengers. Should your or another driver’s judgment fail, these features create a buffer between you and serious injury or death. This buffer is responsible for a great reduction in the number of traffic deaths, yet visit any emergency ward, anywhere in the world, and you’ll see that there is still much room for improvement.
Illustration of car accidents and warning messages

Because of their ability to become any type of cell in the body and potentially restore damaged tissues, stem cells have long been the focus of research. Yet progress in the field of stem-cell-based regenerative medicine has all but reached a stand still. The two main focal points of this research—embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells—have not yet reached consistency in terms of their ability to produce disease-free cells that regrow organ tissue. Researchers based in New York City and Doha are working on an approach that involves the endothelial cells that make up the vascular system as a supportive "niche" for growing stem cells.

 Compared to studies in the fields of biology and engineering, nonlinear dynamics might not be so obvious in terms of its worth. In reality, it is an area of physics research that permeates the natural world and a field integral to so many others. Dr. Milivoj Belic won the 2012 QNRF Research Team of the Year Award for his prolific contributions in this field, accounting for more than ten percent of Texas A&M at Qatar’s publications. His team’s specific focus is nonlinear optics, wherein they research the behavior of materials and laser light as they interact.

The content of this issue reflects the continual evolution of QNRF as it aligns its services and programs with the needs of researchers and the Qatar National Research Strategy. As a special addition to this issue, the strategy is discussed in a high-profile interview with Qatar Foundation's President of Research and Development, Mr. Faisal Alsuwaidi.