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Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), has won the prestigious Arab Best Research Institution of the Year 2017 award, confirming the institute’s position as a pioneer in the provision of healthcare solutions in Qatar, the region, and the world. The award was presented at a celebratory ceremony on November 27 in Marrakech, Morocco. The annual Arab Best Awards are among the most coveted in the region, and aim to recognize exceptional organizations and professionals in the Arab world. They aim to celebrate achievements in three core areas: business excellence; government, leadership and sports; and social and community contribution.
For QBRI, the award was a direct result of the institute’s ongoing research efforts to provide new insights into the molecular basis of the grand challenges of breast cancer, diabetes and neurological disorders such as autism and neurodegenerative diseases.
“I am delighted that QBRI has been declared the Arab Best Research Institution of the Year for 2017. Receiving this award is proof of our enduring efforts to contribute to biomedical research in Qatar and the world. It is another example of the hard work and dedication of QBRI’s employees and researchers, and solidifies HBKU’s position as a research-intensive university. This recognition inspires us to achieve greater milestones, as we continue to pursue solutions for global health challenges,” said Dr. Omar El-Agnaf, acting executive director of QBRI.
The Arab Best Awards’ General Secretariat and Experts Committee also selected Dr. El-Agnaf as one of the Best 100 Arab CEOs, in recognition of his contributions to research on Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, as well as his vision as QBRI’s top manager.
Award categories are highly competitive and the winners are selected based on a merit system that includes 17 criteria such as leadership style; alignment to strategic business goals; administrative productivity, among others.
“We are proud of our teams and the research undertaken within our facilities, and especially under Prof. El-Agnaf’s inspiring leadership. With the dedication of all its researchers and administrators, QBRI has become a world-class research institute and its research will have significant outputs that will improve many lives in Qatar, the Middle East and globally,” said Prof. Richard O’Kennedy, Vice President for Research at HBKU.
