Inaugural Hamad Bin Khalifa Lecture at WCMC-Q

WCMC-Q Dean Dr. Daniel R. Alonso thanks Dr. Ronald
Crystal for his presentation of the first Hamad Bin
Khalifa Lecture.

Presenting research that could forge revolutionary new therapies, Ronald G. Crystal, M.D., inspired all who attended the inaugural Hamad Bin Khalifa Lecture at WCMC-Q in December.

The lecture was held in honor of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani the Emir of the State of Qatar, in grateful recognition of his extraordinary support of WCMC-Q, and in the presence of his consort and Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser al-Missned.

The Hamad Bin Khalifa Lecture will become an annual event at WCMC-Q, which is Qatar’s first-ever Medical College, established through a partnership between Cornell University and Qatar Foundation. Professor and Chairman of the Department of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Ronald Crystal, spoke on "Genetic Medicines: Therapies for the 21st Century".

First year medical student Imran Farooq and a guest
discuss with Dr. Crystal the possibilities of using
genetic medicines to fight major diseases and health
problems in the 21st Century.

"Now that the entire human genome has been sequenced, and all human genes have been identified, the challenge for medicine in the 21st century is to use this information to prevent and treat disease," he said.

Dr. Crystal looked ahead to what the future holds for genetic medicines, including stem cell therapy and gene therapy, in terms of new treatments for a host of diseases and even the regeneration of diseased organs.

A pioneer in the field, Dr. Crystal was the first to use a recombinant virus as a vehicle for in vivo gene therapy, implementing this strategy in human trials of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis and for cardiac ischemia.

"We are constantly trying to change the equation by using genetic medicines to modify in an individual their genomes in one way or another to prevent or treat a human disease," he said.

He explained the basic concepts of stem cell research and gene therapy, the strategies used in clinical trials, the possibilities and limitations of using somatic vs embryonic stem cells and various methods of gene therapy, and the challenges involved, giving examples of his research and some of the ethical issues involved with genetic medicine.

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser al-Missned
(second from right), chairperson of Qatar Foundation,
meets Dr. Ronald Crystal, Dean of WCMC-Q Dr. Daniel
R. Alonso, and other officials after the inaugural
Hamad Bin Khalifa Lecture.

Attending the lecture were guests from Qatar Foundation, including board member and Higher Education Advisor Dr. Mohammad Fathy Saoud and vice presidents Rashid Al-Nuaimi and Dr. Abdullah Al-Thani; guests from the National Health Authority, including chairperson Dr. Ghalia Bint Mohammed Al-Thani and vice chairperson Dr. Khalid Bin Jabor Al-Thani; Hamad Medical Corporation physicians; and WCMC-Q faculty, staff and students.

While in Qatar, Dr. Crystal presented Grand Rounds to physicians at Hamad Medical Corporation titled "Lung Cancer: Using Genetic Medicine to Understand and Treat Bronchogenic Carcinoma". He suggested collaborating with physicians in Qatar on research into the resistance genomes for lung cancer.

Dr. Crystal also gave a lecture to WCMC-Q second year medical students on "Interstitial Lung Disease" as part of the Basis of Disease course.