Sanabel Al-Akras , MD
Dr. Sanabel Alakras is a consultant psychiatrist, healthcare entrepreneur and innovator who has dedicated her career to advancing mental health services and developing care models that bring together clinical excellence, innovation and compassionate leadership.
She graduated from Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar in 2012, after a field experience in Tanzania in 2011 that shaped her perspective on global health and the importance of making high-quality healthcare accessible to diverse communities. She continued her professional journey at Hamad Medical Corporation, where she completed her residency training in psychiatry, followed by a fellowship in geriatric psychiatry.
Extending her vision beyond clinical practice into institution-building, she founded Cuddle Castle Nursery in 2015. In 2020, she established Al Sanabel Specialized Psychiatric Center, the first private center dedicated specifically to psychiatry in the State of Qatar, through which she developed an integrated, multidisciplinary model of mental healthcare.
Her future vision centers on advancing the concept of precision psychiatry and expanding the use of standardized psychological assessments, validated psychometric tools and clinical data in diagnosis and treatment decision-making. Her goal is to move toward mental healthcare that is more precise, objective and personalized to the individual needs of each patient.
Alongside her clinical and leadership roles, Dr. Alakras is committed to a broader social mission: breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, strengthening psychological literacy and mental health vocabulary within the community, and encouraging earlier access to specialized care.
Her career reflects a modern vision of the physician, not only as a healthcare provider but also as a leader, innovator and agent of change capable of transforming medical knowledge into institutions and initiatives that create sustainable impact on the lives of individuals, families and society.