Doha, Qatar, March 27, 2019: Qatar Genome Programme (QGP) – a member of Qatar Foundation (QF) and part of Qatar Foundation Research, Development, and Innovation – has participated in the ‘100,000 Genomes Project’ celebrations in London, organized by Genomics England, the National Health Service (NHS) England, and the Royal Society.
The 100,000 Genomes Project recently reached its goal of sequencing 100,000 genomes, and Qatar Genome Programme was one of the leading large-scale national genome projects to join the event, which was also attended by leading scientists from around the world and health decision-makers from the UK government.
At the Royal Society – one of the oldest and most prestigious scientific institutions in the world – Dr. Said Ismail, QGP Director, shared insights about the progress Qatar has made in the field of genomics, QGP’s first phase achievements, and its future plans. He also highlighted Qatar’s vision of personalized healthcare.
“QGP’s comprehensive vision is based on seven pillars, covering a wide range of initiatives ranging from fostering genomic research, building human capacity, drafting policies and guidelines all the way to facilitating clinical implementation,” said Dr. Ismail.
Dr Asmaa Al Thani, Board Vice Chairperson of Qatar Biobank and Chairperson of QGP Committee, said: “QGP is one-of-its-kind endeavour in the Middle East, and a major player in the global precision medicine arena, paving the way towards the implementation of genomic medicine.
“QGP is made possible through a national collaboration of institutions such as Qatar Biobank, Hamad Medical Corporation, and Sidra Medicine.”
Established in 1660, the Royal Society’s fellowship list includes prominent scientists like Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Francis Crick, and Stephen Hawking in addition to over 280 Nobel Prize Laureates.