WCM-Q, HMC and AHS unite to promote ethical research

April, 2015

Medical ethics experts from New York visited Doha to advise researchers how to ensure their studies safeguard the rights of participants.

As part of an initiative coordinated by Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCM-Q) and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) under the auspices of the Academic Health System (AHS), Dr. Inmaculada de Melo-Martín and Cathleen Acres of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York (WCMC-NY) led two medical ethics workshops for Qatar-based researchers.

The instructional workshops, held at the Warwick Doha Hotel over two days, explained key concepts in medical ethics in relation to clinical research projects, such as how to obtain informed consent, strategies for working with vulnerable groups, special precautions demanded by genetic research studies, how to handle risk and how to fulfill ethical obligations to report adverse events.

The workshops were part of an ongoing program of events coordinated by WCM-Q, HMC and AHS that aim to share knowledge and skills among institutions in Qatar in order to support and facilitate both individual and collaborative research projects. 

Following the two workshops, Dr. de Melo-Martín and Ms. Acres, who are both members of the Division of Medical Ethics at WCMC-NY, gave a special research lecture at WCM-Q, entitled ‘Human Subjects Research: Practical Applications and Case Discussions’.

Dr. de Melo-Martín, Associate Professor of Public Health and Reproductive Medicine at WCMC-NY, said: “The level of attendance at the workshops was very encouraging as more than 250 people registered to take part. Everyone who participated demonstrated a great deal of interest in the subject, which I think signifies just how much energy and enthusiasm there is among the medical community in Qatar to conduct research that is not only relevant and valuable but which is also conducted in a responsible way that protects the rights and safety of participants.”

Ms. Acres, Lecturer in Public Health and Administrative Director & Associate Clinical Ethicist at WCMC-NY, said: “We were very pleased with the level of interaction we encountered at both of the workshops and at the lecture. The attendees were very keen to engage with us and each other to discuss the finer points of the ethical concepts that were raised and how these could be effectively applied in practice. Clearly, there is a very deep appreciation among the medical community in Qatar of the need to conduct research in an ethical manner and we were able to provide some useful guidance of how this can be achieved.”