Sidra Medicine acknowledged the United Nation’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science today. The acknowledgement comes in the form of supporting messages from its diverse female researchers to young girls in Qatar to consider careers in Science.
Moza Khalifa Al-Kowari, Specialist – Molecular Bases of Hearing Loss, Experimental Genetics: “My advice is for young Qatari females is that by being in the science and research field – you will play such an important role in developing and advancing the health sector for the country. I always liked science and am pleased I followed my dream. My work at Sidra Medicine is directly related to the concept of personalized medicine. By studying genetic diseases and knowing the genetic causes of certain diseases – we will help in designing personalized health plans that can minimize risks to patients, prevent of the disease and develop precise treatment if the disease occurs.”
Darawan Rinchai from Thailand – Post-doctoral fellow, Translational Medicine, (Tumor Biology, Immunology and Therapy): “There is no end to expanding your scientific knowledge – there is always something new to discover. I am never bored! By studying science you gain deep knowledge that will allow your intellectual development to expand and more importantly allows you to play an important role to advance your country to a world-class level.”
Annalisa Terranegra from Italy – Research Investigator, Translational Medicine (Tumor Biology, Immunology and Therapy): “I believe women have the perfect mix to work in science – thanks to our organizational skills, patience, perseverance and creativity! Here at Sidra Medicine my focus is in nutrition and how food and lifestyle contribute to the development of diseases such as obesity and diabetes including their impact on our gene functions. Our most promising approach is to provide individual diet therapy – factoring in the type of disease, life style, genetic background and local culture.”
Cristina Maccalli from Italy – Staff Scientist in the Translational Medicine section at Sidra Medicine: “Science while fascinating – is hard work and requires strong motivation especially if you get disappointing results! But do not be deterred – persevere as it can provide a lot of satisfaction. Especially the knowledge that you can contribute towards improving healthcare, saving lives and positively impacting lifestyles and the environment. My research at Sidra Medicine focuses on the profiling of neoplastic diseases – that can help predict diseases and the clinical outcomes in patients. This will enable us to provide patient-tailored therapeutic options. Our work will have a significant impact in advancing the treatment methodologies for patients at Sidra Medicine and hopefully put Qatar on the world stage.”
Muna Al Hashmi, Technologist III in the Omics Core laboratories in the Translational Medicine section: “As a Muslim, the scientific interpretations of the Quran that makes prescient statements about the nature of the universe, biological development and other phenomena had a great impact in pushing me toward science. I strongly believe we need more mentors, teachers and career development leaders to help encourage and inspire our youngsters to consider career paths in the scientific field – so that we can further develop our national talent and have more Qatari scientists and researchers playing a key role in our country’s development.