RICHARD O'KENNEDY
The first country in the world to track its citizens' genomes, Qatar is on track to make one of modern science's biggest breakthroughs by personalizing medical treatment and precision care.
BIOGRAPHY
Richard O'Kennedy is vice-president of research, development, and innovation at the Qatar Foundation and vice president of research at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha. Previously, he was professor and scientific director of the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute at Dublin City University (DCU). He is former president of the London International Youth Science Forum and the Institute of Biology of Ireland, former chairman and founder of the Centre for Talented Youth in Ireland. He also represented Ireland and the Royal Irish Academy on the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. In 2018, he was selected as the representative of the IUBMB for Qatar.
Can you give us an overview of the Qatar Foundation's recent accomplishments in terms of its RDI efforts?
The first element in developing the Qatar Foundation was to build the infrastructure. We had to create research institutes, universities, and the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) with all the physical elements needed for excellent research labs and facilities and the capacity to attract people. After that, we attracted world leaders and local individuals to develop cutting-edge research teams. These individuals have brought the level of research here to world-class levels in sectors such as medicine, cybersecurity, IT, energy, environment, and biomedical research. We have also been empowering women. For example, the percentage of female engineers at Texas A&M University in Qatar is about 42%, which is far above the university's female ratio in the US.
What is the main focus area of your R&D?
One of the areas we are looking at is personalized healthcare, or precision medicine. The concept is to develop a health service capacity where every person has the right form of individualized treatment. The first part of that is to understand the genome of every individual. Her Highness Sheikha Moza's vision is to determine the genome of every individual in the national and ultimately the wider population. By the end of 2019, we will have determined 18,000 genomes, with a further 100,000 over the next few years. As a percentage of the population, that is much higher than anywhere else in the world. We work closely with a variety of international organizations on this. Once we have this information, we are in a strong position to tailor medical treatment to the individual. In the long term, this will ensure everyone lives happier and healthier lives. This also involves capacity building in all the relevant technologies, as you also need diagnostics and treatment. Then, we can have companies that help to develop new diagnostics that are required, such as those utilizing bio-markers in the blood for the detection of certain diseases, since understanding diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and autism has global value.
What is the Qatar Foundation pursuing through investment in R&D?
All the new infrastructure here is geared toward the World Cup, but what is left after that will give Qatar a world-class infrastructure that will ease the creation of new industries. Where the Qatar Foundation comes in is in the important role of mobilizing human capital. To do that, first we have to educate from the most junior level right up through secondary level and across universities. Then, we have to ensure these people attain the right qualifications and develop expertise. They could then pursue their PhDs either here or abroad and hopefully over time develop excellent research and ideas.
Can you give us some numbers regarding institutions and patents already established by the Qatar Foundation?
We have built QSTP, which covers the size of about 125 football pitches. There, we are home to about 50 companies, including world leaders like General Electric and Microsoft, along with smaller companies and a whole range of start-ups. We currently have about 1,500 researchers involved in various activities across the universities and research entities. We also have partner universities, such as Texas A&M and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), which is a home-grown university that focuses on postgraduate education and research. We hope HBKU will grow to be ranked among the top universities of the world, such as MIT. In addition, we have research institutes here, such as the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), which is considered a global leader in certain fields and works in collaboration with MIT in certain areas.
RICHARD O'KENNEDY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida, CEO, Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority
Given its successful performance in the last few years, QFC is optimistic it will be able to capitalize on Qatar's ongoing efforts to create a world-class business environment and attract more global companies.
read articleInterview
Lolwah R M Al-Khater, Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is focused on pushing forward Qatar's foreign policy, sharing information and perspectives that could be useful for regional security and advancing the Qatari narratives on many issues facing the world today.
read articleInterview
Richard O’Kennedy, Vice President, Research, Development, and Innovation, Qatar Foundation
The first country in the world to track its citizens' genomes, Qatar is on track to make one of modern science's biggest breakthroughs by personalizing medical treatment and precision care.
read articleInterview
Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister, Transport and Communications (MoTC)
With plans for a fully electric bus system and an impressive set of interconnected transportation options including metro, rail, and tram, the Ministry of Transport and Communication is shifting mobility into the next gear in Qatar.
read articleInterview
Sheikh Abdulla Bin Saoud Al Thani, Governor, Qatar Central Bank (QCB)
Encouraging local manufacturing, initiating self-sufficiency in dairy and farm products, expanding into new air and sea routes, offering select visa-free entry, and enacting fiscal reforms are but several of the successful reforms undertaken since 2017.
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Sean Kelly, Project Director, Place Vendôme
Place Vendôme is no ordinary mall: with 650 hotel rooms, a 6,000-sqm cinema with 18 screens, six slides, three toboggan runs, and an ice river opening in September 2020, it is looking to slide into Qatar's tourism infrastructure in time for the World Cup.
read articleInterview
Mehmed Zingal, General Manager, Turkish Airlines - Qatar
With its 30th year celebration of its Miles&Smiles club launch in Qatar, Turkish Airlines is acknowledging its continued diligence to provide the best customer service, with targets to increase customer happiness through innovative technologies and increasing tourism to Qatar for the future.
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Hassan Rashid Al-Derham, President, Qatar University (QU)
Ranked in the top-500 universities by the Times Higher Education, Qatar University improves students' academic success by supporting students throughout their academic lifecycle, from the pre-university stage to beyond graduation.
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A lesson learned
The international attention set to fall on Qatar over the coming years is significant only to the extent that it generates advances in human capital required by Qatar's blueprint, National Vision 2020, where local know-how and innovation advance the nation and promote wellbeing.
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Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health & Managing Director,, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)
The health minister is committed to continuing the growth of Qatar's healthcare system, with plans for more than 20 new facilities specializing in pediatrics, geriatrics, and mental health.
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