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Tribune News NetworkDohaIn this interview, Fatma Al Khawaja, a PhD student at College of Health and Life Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, explained what motivated her to enrol for PhD programme in the genomics and precision medicine at the collegen What is it about the programme, college, and HBKU that attracted you to join?HBKU is a prestigious university with top tier professors and an outstanding record of multidisciplinary research. The College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS) offers a unique programme, the only established PhD programme in the region in the field of genomics and precision medicine. This programme will provide me with the opportunity to get a solid background and the knowledge needed to conduct high translational and basic research. Therefore, it will help me and future scientists in conducting personalised medicine research that targets some of the most common and challenging diseases in Qatar and the rest of the world. In addition, the advances in this field of research will improve patient life and decrease the burden on the healthcare system. For this reason, I am very grateful to have world-class health sciences education in my home country through CHLS, where I will be able to apply what I learn.n What are your aspirations at HBKU?As a dermatology resident working in Hamad Medical Corporation, I realise the full potential of precision medicine. For this reason, my aspiration is to learn to develop high-quality research in the field of dermatology. This exciting opportunity of a genomics and precision medicine PhD programme offered by CHLS will provide me with the knowledge needed to conduct research moving forward. My ultimate goal is to apply the knowledge and experience gained from HBKU in the research of common dermatology diseases, especially ones that affect the Qatari population and the region, to unravel the disease mechanism and plan a more targeted therapy approach. n How do you feel an HBKU education will assist your career goals?The Genomics and Precision Medicine PhD programme at CHLS is the starting point of a promising future career in the field of research. It will provide me with the technical skills, experience and opportunities needed in my field as a dermatologist. More importantly, it will teach me how to become a research leader and an exceptionally qualified researcher. Moreover, studying at CHLS will open doors for me to meet my future colleagues and other staff, both within HBKU and outside the institution, which will help in building a strong professional network. These connections will provide more opportunities post-PhD programme.
