WCM-Q Faculty Honored with Prestigious L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award

Dr. Hiam Chemaitelly, assistant professor of research in population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), has been honored with the 2024 L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East Regional Young Talents Award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to infectious disease epidemiology.

Dr. Chemaitelly’s research has profoundly advanced the understanding of COVID-19 epidemiology, playing an influential role in shaping global public health policies throughout the pandemic and informing guidelines at both the country level and internationally through the World Health Organization. In addition to her work on COVID-19, Dr. Chemaitelly has made substantial advances to the study of infectious diseases in the Middle East and North Africa, with impactful research on HIV, bacterial, and viral sexually transmitted infections, and viral hepatitis. With this award, she plans to expand her research into respiratory infections beyond COVID-19.

Dr. Chemaitelly, a prolific scholar, has authored over 150 research studies published in prestigious journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Group, JAMA, and Nature Medicine. Her work has achieved extensive international recognition and has been widely covered in the global media.

The L’Oréal-UNESCO Regional Program is dedicated to empowering women scientists to reach new heights of scientific excellence and to contribute to addressing humanity’s greatest challenges. Since its inception over 20 years ago, the program has recognized and supported more than 4,100 promising young female scientists in Life Sciences and Physical Sciences worldwide.

Dr. Chemaitelly expressed her gratitude, stating: “I am honored to receive this prestigious award from L’Oréal-UNESCO. Having my work recognized at this level is rewarding and brings both personal joy and motivation. I am immensely grateful to Qatar Foundation for fostering a thriving scientific community in the heart of the Arab world, with institutions such as Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar and our research team at the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group. This environment has provided me and many others with abundant opportunities for growth and supports scientific research to flourish and prosper.”

Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Doha Mr. Salah Khaled said: "We are immensely proud to celebrate Dr. Hiam Chemaitelly's remarkable achievement in receiving the 2024 L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East Regional Young Talents Award. Dr. Chemaitelly's groundbreaking research in infectious disease epidemiology, particularly her contributions to understanding COVID-19, has had a profound impact on global public health. Her dedication and pioneering work exemplify the spirit of scientific excellence and innovation that the L’Oreal-UNESCO Awards aim to recognize and support. He noted that the biggest challenge for women is not the pursuit of excellence in the fields of science, but the pursuit of equal opportunities for leadership and career development, which is very important if the global community wanted to achieve the sustainable development agenda by 2030.”

Professor Khaled Machaca, senior associate dean for research, innovations, and commercialization at WCM-Q, said: “This is an outstanding achievement, and I cannot think of a more deserving recipient for this award—not only because of the far-reaching importance of Hiam’s scientific findings, but also for the global impact her research made on public health in Qatar and internationally. As an institution, we are immensely proud to see our faculty accomplished and honored with such a prestigious award. It is inspiring to witness the dedication and pioneering contributions of our young female Arab scientists recognized at this level. Dr. Chemaitelly, who built her scientific career here in Qatar, exemplifies the progress Qatar has made in nurturing a generation of women scientists with the potential to transform the landscape of scientific research in the Arab world.”

Dr. Chemaitelly’s accomplishments have been made possible by generous funding from Qatar Foundation, Qatar National Research Fund, and the Qatar Research and Development Council.