Sidra Medicine, a specialty children’s, young people and women’s healthcare organization and member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), has appointed Prof. Christof von Kalle as its new Chief Research Officer (CRO).
In his capacity as CRO, Prof. Kalle will oversee all aspects of research conducted at the institution. Working with a team of international and local experts, his goal will be to align the activities of the clinical and research branches towards breakthroughs in patient care. Under Prof. Kalle’s leadership, the research team at Sidra Medicine will become a beacon of excellence in healthcare research, new therapeutic developments, and world-class education with the ultimate goal of making significant contributions to Qatar’s healthcare and education system.
Commenting on the high-profile appointment, Chief Executive Officer Peter Morris stated: “The Research conducted at Sidra Medicine is one of the key foundation that will advance precision medicine and personalized care for women, children and young people in Qatar and beyond. We are pleased to welcome Prof. Kalle to Sidra Medicine and are certain that his extensive experience will contribute to the acceleration of our research goals, all of which support the wider national priorities and health care needs of the people of Qatar.”
As a physician scientist with a clinical background in cancer research, Prof. Kalle is an internationally renowned scientific leader in stem cell research and the treatment of rare genetic diseases. He has published over 150 high impact publications and is an elected member of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences.
Prof. Kalle joined Sidra Medicine from the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) where he held the position of Director. At the NCT, Prof. Kalle facilitated translational and clinical research by working with colleagues to build internationally renowned research groups for stem‐cell research, applied functional genomics, lymphoma research, molecular diagnostics and gene therapy. He is the co-founder of two Biotech companies, Lifecodexx and GeneWerk.
Prof. Kalle has been the recipient of several prestigious awards over the years, including the Pioneer Series Award for Human Gene Therapy in 2011, the Eva Luise Köhler Award for Rare Diseases in 2005, and the Langen Research Award from Paul-Ehrlich-Institute in Langen, Germany in 2004.
“Ours is an exciting field that is filled with countless possibilities that could transform people’s lives. With a state-of-the-art facility and an ambitious vision to become one of the top academic medical centers in the world, Sidra Medicine is well-equipped to foster impactful scientific and clinical research both in Qatar and beyond,” said Prof. Kalle. “Through our collaboration with Qatar Biobank and its Qatar Genome Programme as well as other healthcare organizations in the country, Sidra Medicine will provide unique and valuable research results for the benefit of women and children. Our work will be highly relevant for establishing the right diagnosis and providing effective treatments for genetic, immunological, and metabolic diseases. We will seek to develop and support patient centered, personalized therapies geared toward the specific needs of Qatari women and children, as well as patients in general.”
Sidra Medicine’s investment in research highlights its commitment to growing Qatar’s scientific profile and advancing personalized medicine in the country, the region and internationally. Just recently, it unveiled an ambitious partnership with ENIGMA, the world’s largest brain mapping project, to study brain health and disease among the Qatari population. This followed an announcement of Sidra Medicine’s plans to launch a program aimed at creating a long-term National Resource for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) research.
For more information about Sidra Medicine’s research endeavors, please visit: http://www.sidra.org/research-center/