Clinical Research Interest Groups
Clinical-Research Interest Groups foster enhanced collaboration between clinicians and researchers. Their purpose is to coordinate research efforts within a specific field of clinical interest, and identify common questions that require multi-disciplinary approaches to answer.
01. I3 Immunity, Inflammation and Infection
The “Immunity-Inflammation-Infection” interest group focus on topics ranging from immunogenetics and tumor immunology to cellular/systems immunology. The projects undertaken by members of this group rely on a wide array of technologies that have been established in core facilities and individual laboratories that may be leveraged for the development of immune profiling assays.
01.1 Nephrology Working Group
The I3 group also focuses their research in the field of Nephrology
01.2 Microbes and Infectious Disease
The “Microbes and Infectious Disease” group assumes a broad array of research topics in microbiology and infectious diseases. These topics encompass the classic trio of infectious diseases, pathogen and environmental factors that contribute to the development of disease in the host. Research Projects investigate: multi-drug resistant pathogens, the role of the hospital environment in hospital-associated infections, and the utilization of metagenomic sequencing for pathogen detection in sterile site samples is being examined.
01.3 Atopic Diseases
Is a subgroup of I3 and focuses on research projects associated with neonates and children showing symptoms of allergic diseases including those with asthma, food allergies and/or dermatological phenotypes.
02. TUMMIE
The group “Towards Understanding Microbiome and Mucosal Immunity in Inflammatory Bowel Disorders and Enteropathies” (TUMMIE) focuses on three major areas: translational research, clinical research and basic laboratory science. The research will be centered on gastrointestinal disorders including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), enteropathies, celiac disease and other autoimmune bowel diseases. The focus of research is on implementing precision medicine for these Gastro-Intestinal (GI) disorders, developing new diagnostic tools and clarifying disease mechanisms, pathophysiology and pharmacogenetics.
03. Mother and Child
The “Mother and Child” (MCH) group at Sidra Medicine aims to improve women’s and children’s health by implementing state-of-the-art clinical and translational research. This department focuses on three of the seven priority populations described in the Qatar National Health Strategy. This working group is comprised of members from different Sidra clinics such as Obstetrics, Psychiatry for Women's Mental Health, Gynecology, Acute Care Medicine and Neonatology Clinical Services as well as regular members from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). MCH group discuses major health problems facing women trying to become pregnant, pregnant women, their growing fetus, infants and children up to two years old.
04. Neurology and Psychiatric Disorders
This is a multidisciplinary working group involving scientists and clinicians at Sidra Medicine, aiming to enable integrated, state-of-the-art translational research on paediatric diseases relating to Neurology, Psychiatry and Developmental disorders, which constitutes a sizeable health burden in Qatar and beyond. Members of this group use a variety of techniques ranging from computational such as bioinformatics and image processing to experimental methods such as genome sequencing, disease modelling and behaviour-based tools. Notably they have been developing tools to improve genetic testing, counselling as well as biomarker discovery. This group held regular meetings to discuss ongoing projects, ideas to cover existing gaps and improve standard care, as well maximum synergies and use of resources. As a major outcome, it has led to the identification of priority disease cohorts and venues for research capacity building though establishing a nationwide program as a key pillar to the Qatar Precision Medicine Institute as part of the precision medicine mission in Qatar.
05. Acute Pediatrics
Emergency and critical care are major paediatric specialties involving acutely unwell and injured children. The Acute Pediatrics Research group focuses on research into the best way to manage pediatric emergencies; in the Emergency Department, in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and the inpatient wards. The clinical expertise in the Emergency Department is managing undifferentiated illness, resuscitation and instigation of life saving procedures with definitive treatment and managing the primary care secondary care interface safely and effectively. This research group will combine scientific expertise within the research laboratories with clinical translational expertise of the clinicians in emergency and critical care.
06. Cancer Precision Medicine
In the “Cancer Precision Medicine” group, there is a strong determination to understand the reasons for treatment failure, match each patient with the most appropriate treatment, develop novel therapeutic approaches with emphasis on targeted therapy and immunotherapy, identify the genetic basis of cancer risk and progression, and determine biomarkers of outcome and toxicity. The group is developed around the 3 Sidra Precision Medicine Pillars: Biorepository, Advanced Diagnostic, and Advanced Therapeutics, and in alignment with National Priorities. The group is constituted by researchers and clinicians working on cancer from a research and patients’ service prospective.
07. Cardiac Working Group
The Cardiac group observes an extensive diversity of congenital disease with a personalized approach for identification of genetic variants and clarification of the pathways to find possibilities for new/improved treatment. In the Cardiac group, there is an interest to test and develop new cardiac devices which can improve patient health and treatment. Cardiology Fellows are also encouraged for active participation in such studies. Moreover, the group recognizes the importance of providing long-term interventional clinical studies to enable patients to enroll in the hope of improving the clinical outcome.
08. Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolic Disorders
In the Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases working group, by recruiting patients suffering from obesity, diabetes and/or endocrine disorders, the group aims to develop a detailed map of the epidemiology of these diseases in Qatar. The stratification of the different types of these diseases, in combination with genetic approaches and functional studies using animal models, will allow researchers to implement personalized therapeutic strategies and interventions for children and other patients affected by specific illnesses.
09. Genome Data and Digital Health
In the Genome Data and Digital Health working group, questions such as how to best integrate genomics and genome sequencing in patient health are addressed. Large datasets of patient genomics data sequenced as part of different projects, are assessed by scientists using different applications. These applications include bioinformatics, genomic landscape analysis and phenotypic data integration. An important operation in the Genome Data and Digital Health working group is to pre-address database development and standardization addressing growing datasets in genomics, which can be used for both Sidra Medicine projects as well as by partners, such as the national Qatar Genome Programme (QGP). Furthermore, this group ensures genomic data standardization such as GA4GH is followed in order to work with the increasing Genomic data.