Javaid I. Sheikh, M.D., M.B.A.
Dean, Professor of Psychiatry, Professor of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar
Dr. Javaid I. Sheikh is an internationally renowned medical executive and creative thought leader in global academic medicine. Since beginning his tenure as dean of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) in 2010, Dr. Sheikh has pioneered and implemented innovative biomedical educational and research programs, enabling WCM-Q to become widely acknowledged as a leading institution preparing “global physician-scientists” for the 21st century, equipped with the skills, knowledge, and outlook to provide exceptional standards of healthcare while also driving advances in scientific discovery.
In addition, Dr. Sheikh led the establishment of a comprehensive research infrastructure at WCM-Q equipped with core laboratories with advanced capabilities in genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. This made the college a valuable national resource and turned Doha into a regional and global hub for cutting-edge scientific inquiry and international collaboration.
To support the ongoing professional development of healthcare practitioners, Dr. Sheikh established a Division of Continuing Professional Development at WCM-Q that was the first such program in the region to be accredited by the US Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), a very important step in maintaining world-class physician performance and delivery of high-quality medical care.
In 2012, Dr. Sheikh established the Institute for Population Health (IPH) at WCM-Q. The IPH has led the conceptualization and implementation of comprehensive programs to advance health promotion and disease prevention for the Qatari population, beginning with school-age children. In early 2024, the IPH organized the first ever Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance Leadership Forum at WCM-Q to advance the principles of lifestyle medicine and identify specific therapeutic strategies to enhance health and well-being for diverse populations worldwide.
In 2016, Dr. Sheikh joined forces with President Victor Dzau of the National Academy of Medicine to create Innovations in Global Health Professions Education (IGHPE), a globally interconnected forum providing an international platform for profiling conceptual and technological innovations in health professions education. IGHPE has recently been rebranded as Precision Health Innovations and Education (PHIE) to reflect increasing emphasis on precision health and technological innovations.
Before joining WCM-Q, Dr. Sheikh built a distinguished career as a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, associate dean, and chairman of the board at the Palo Alto Institute for Research and Education at Stanford University School of Medicine and affiliated hospitals in California.