Student Research Forum Highlights an Increase in Local Study


October 2009
Research Forum
Pankit Vachhani explains his summer research project, which took top
prize for a poster presentation.

After working eight weeks of the summer at laboratories in New York and Doha, 24 WCMC-Q premed and medical students shared their findings with the local scientific community. Among attendees were renowned researcher Dr. David Kerr, chief research advisor at Sidra Medical and Research Center, Dr. Abdelali Haoudi, vice president of research at the Qatar Foundation, and Dr. Lotfi Chouchane, professor of genetic medicine, microbiology and immunology at WCMC-Q, who all served as presentation judges.

“It’s important to realize that the work of these exceptional students is part of a much larger research program, and student activity in the labs will become a natural part of our research culture, just as it is in New York,” said Dr. Javaid Sheikh, interim dean at WCMC-Q. “More than all other forums in the past, the presentations you see here today include work done locally, and this is a reflection of the fact that the research program here in Doha is up and running.”

The first half of the research forum featured eight students lecturing on their research involving microbiology, genetics, stem cells, with study directed at ovarian cancer, H1N1, defects in nerve tissue, reproductive cell stages and preeclampsia—a condition where high blood pressure develops during pregnancy—among other conditions. Following each lecture, the audience was invited to ask questions.

The judges were particularly keen on discovering the depth and breadth of the students’ knowledge, challenging them to answer pointed questions about the reproducibility of their evidence and whether or not other lines of study had been tried.

“It is these kinds of experiences that will put physicians who graduate from WCMC-Q ahead of other physicians in the world, because they will have this experience in the research sector,” said Khaled Machaca, PhD, professor of physiology and biophysics and associate dean for research. “They will know the latest methodology and how important it is to know their research at the deepest level in order to respond fully to questions posed by foremost members of the scientific community.”

By the end of the lectures, judges had chosen the winners. Second-year medical student, Farah Siam, won first place for her presentation of work on a novel role for the transcription repressor “Snail” in airway epithelial differentiation and repair, and first-year medical student, Fadwa Fares, won second prize for her lecture on tumor associated mesenchymal stem cells protect ovarian cancer cells from hyperthermia through stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1 alpha) secretion.

Guests then made their way out to a poster presentation reception, where they could browse 17 scientific displays. Among the attendees were several anonymous judges, who, like other guests, approached the students and asked them about their research and posters. After an hour, the judges—who turned out to be Dr. Arash Rafii Tabrizi, assistant professor of genetic medicine in obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Michael Pungente, assistant professor of organic chemistry, Dr. Kevin Smith, associate professor of organic chemistry, Dr. Hong Ding, instructor of pharmacology, and Dr. Ali Sultan, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology–convened to discuss the posters and decided on the winners.

Oral Presentation Winners
Oral presentation winners Farha Siam and Fadwa Fares with Dr. Khaled
Machaca and Dr. Abdelali Haoudi.

Second-year medical student Pankit Vachhani won first prize for his poster describing work on expression patterns of TPP-I following AA Vrh.10hCLN2 gene transfer to the eye via subretinal and intravitreal routes. The judges couldn’t decide about the second-place winner and announced a tie between second-year medical student Sarah Salameh’s poster on variability in interleukin-10 expression linked to biallelic-1082 gene promoter polymorphism is mediated by poly (ADP Ribose)-polymerase 1 in macrophages phagocytising apoptotic cells, and first-year medical student Sundus Mari’s poster on finding isomer-specific binding partners of amyloid precursor protein.

Presentations highlighted work done by students chosen for their exceptional performance to participate in the college’s annual Summer Research Program. Through the program, they experienced an eight-week immersion into laboratories at WCMC-Q, Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, and Cornell University in Ithaca. Their presentations—a third of which were presented through lectures and the remainder through scientific posters—represent the leading edge of investigation into conditions affecting countless people around the world.

“This program has been quite successful over the years and there has been increasing competition for the students who want to participate,” said Dr. Sheikh.

All 24 students and presentations follow:

Report by Emily Alp