WCMC-Q Hosts Cardiovascular Research Symposium

Balwant Tuana, Ph.D., faculty of medicine at the Ottawa Heart Institute
discusses "Novel Therapeutic Targets in Cardiac Remodeling and Failure."

To share and update perspectives on diseases that greatly impact local and global health, researchers recently gathered at WCMC-Q to participate in a Cardiovascular Research Symposium. The symposium, lasting one day and featuring eight lectures and a discussion session, covered vascular disease as related to diabetic conditions, heart conditions and related molecular factors, and hypertension at the molecular level.

“Despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment, cardiovascular disease will remain a major contributor to morbidity and mortality both globally and locally,” said Chris Triggle, Ph.D., conference organizer and professor of pharmacology at WCMC-Q. “There are several reasons for this not least of which is the global pandemic of obesity and diabetes and the impact that these co-morbidities have on cardiovascular health.

“The prevalence of both obesity and diabetes is particularly high in Qatar and all of the Gulf states,” he continued. “So we do need to educate the public as to the risks and also provide advice on prevention and treatment.”

In addition to talks by experts in molecular physiology, biochemistry, physiology and biophysics, from WCMC-Q and Qatar University, the symposium featured perspective from two visiting lecturers, Balwant Tuana, Ph.D., faculty of medicine at the Ottawa Heart Institute and professor at the University of Ottawa, Canada; and Alexander S. Clanachan, Ph.D., professor, department of pharmacology at the University of Alberta, Canada.

“There is a tsunami of obesity that will eventually affect all regions of the world with an increased prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Triggle said.

The symposium offered rich research perspectives from the forefront of cardiovascular disease research to those who attended. And everyone had a chance to pose questions and further clarify points during a closing discussion with the experts.

“What became evident during the symposium is that we do have a strong and growing nucleus of cardiovascular research scientists here in Qatar,” Dr. Triggle said, “and the event also helped cement ideas for collaborative projects.”

By Emily Alp