Diabetes Research at QBRI: From Disease Mechanisms to Novel Therapies
Dr. Essam M. Abdelalim, PhD
QBRI, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation
Abstract:
The Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) is engaged in basic and translational research focusing on three important diseases (diabetes, cancer, and neurological disorders). Diabetes is one of the greatest health challenges facing Qatar and the world today; therefore, it is one of the top priorities for Qatar National Research Strategy (QNRS). QBRI supports innovative and multidisciplinary research in diabetes and related disorders. The major components of our diabetes research program at QBRI include: (1) Dissecting the pathways underlying the pathophysiology of insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity using different approaches, such as stem cells, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and structural biochemistry; (2) Identification of novel biomarkers for early detection of insulin resistance and diabetes; (3) Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the benefits of bariatric surgery. The ultimate goal of this program is to pave the way for developing novel therapeutic strategies for diabetes treatment. In this presentation, I will give a brief overview on the current diabetes research program at QBRI.
