We have an international perspective in this episode who is a leader in genetics in Qatar. We previously talked to the first certified genetic counselor in Qatar, Shenela Lakhani, in Episode #109. If you haven’t yet we encourage you to check that interview out.

In this episode, We learn about the Qatar Genome Program (QGP), which is part of the Qatar Foundation, from the Director himself, Dr. Said Ismail. Dr. Ismail was pivotal to the establishment of the Qatar Genome Program -- a groundbreaking genome sequencing initiative that started in 2015 and is the largest project of its kind in the Middle East. QGP was the first whole-genome sequencing operation in the region to study Qatari and Arab genomes.

Dr. Said Ismail expertise and research lie in the fields of molecular biology and genetics, with a focus on cancer genetics, precision medicine, and the screening and characterization of disease-related mutations in the Arab population. Dr. Ismail has work experience across various fields, including research, education, and consultancy. He served as a consultant to several regional and international pharma and biotech companies. He headed the Jordan University Hospital molecular diagnostics reference laboratory, and was a board member of the local advisory board of the International Consortium for the American Society for Clinical Pathology International (ASCPI). He is the first president and co-founder of the International Society on Aptamers and is also an editorial board member of multiple international journals.

Dr. Ismail has a special interest in promoting research among young students. He launched one of the largest efforts to enhance the Arabic medical content on the internet, The “Bel-Arabi” or “In-Arabic” initiative: "بالعربي". He is also a board member of the Phi Science Institute aiming to encourage young students to pursue careers in research.

Dr. Ismail won the Said Foundation prize for young Arab researchers in the UK, and the Shoman award for Arab researchers in biomedical sciences in 2013. Dr Ismail holds a Ph.D. from the University of Oxford.

Key Insights from the Interview:

1. Inspiration behind QGP: Dr. Ismail shares his motivations for spearheading such a groundbreaking initiative, emphasizing the importance of advancing genomic research to enhance healthcare outcomes and address the unique genetic characteristics of the Arab population.

Relevant Links:

Qatar Genome Program: https://www.qatargenome.org.qa/ 

News Story on QGP: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/907772

Perception of consanguineous marriage among the qatari population: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10436573/ 

Qatar completes genome sequencing of 30,000 citizens: https://www.gulf-times.com/article/668469/qatar/qatar-completes-genome-sequencing-of-30000-citizens 

Mappin The Arab Genome: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-022-01239-0

GWAS paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21381-3

PGx paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41525-022-00281-5

Familial Cancer paper: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(21)00752-X/abstract

ACMG paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/humu.24278

Population Structure paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-25287-y

Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today next Friday! New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 280 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel, this includes some episodes recorded at NBC Universal Stamford Studios. 

DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our logo Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.