Division Head: - Dr. Emad Ibrahim ElMagboul
Section Head-Clinical Microbiology: Dr. Emad Ibrahim ElMagboul
Section Head- Clinical Virology and Molecular Biology: Dr Peter Coyle
Section Head Clinical Mycobacteriology and the National TB Reference Laboratory: Dr Zubaida Al-Suwaidi
In-Charge Core Chemistry Laboratory (CCL)-Virology Serology Services: Dr Naema Al Molawi
In-Charge CCL-Microbiology Antibiotic Services: Dr Faiha ElTayeb
The Division provides comprehensive microbiology services for patient care, research and educational activities of Hamad Medical Corporation’s patient care program. These include an extensive test repertoire for bacteriology, mycobacteriology, virology, mycology and parasitology as well as some selected environmental testing. The Division is committed to providing high quality, cost effective, innovative, clinically relevant, and timely diagnostic services to all its patients and clients. We provide services to all hospitals within Hamad Medical Corporation, Pediatric Emergency Centers, Primary Health Centers and private hospitals and clients. The Division incorporates the World Health Organization (WHO) National Influenza Center (NIC), and the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory (NTRL). The NIC is linked to the WHO Influenza Collaborating Center in London. The NTRL is linked with the WHO/IUATLD (International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease) Supranational Reference Laboratory Network (SRLN) Mycobacteriology Unit at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. It participates in the WHO/IUATLD quality assurance program for drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The Division provides support to the Infection Prevention and Control Departments and Water Safety Committees of all hospitals and helps in the identification and investigation of nosocomial outbreaks. We also provide consultation and advice on the management of outbreaks, the detection, identification and transmission of antibiotic resistant organisms and typing of isolates to support outbreak investigation.
The Division has strong links with the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) of the State of Qatar. We support the Public Health surveillance activities for community infections, community outbreak investigations and other activities related to communicable disease control, related to diseases of Public Health importance. The Division is also involved in various projects of national and international significance such as Qatar’s National Sepsis Program, National Antimicrobial Stewardship Program and National Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance.
The Division has medical, scientific, and technical educational activities for undergraduates and postgraduates. Technical education includes training of biomedical students from Qatar University and medical students from Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar. The Division also conducts training of Infectious Disease physicians, Infection Control Practitioners, medical residents, and others.
Staff within the Division are actively involved in a variety of research activities ranging from evaluation of new tests and kits to basic research on microbial resistance mechanisms.
