RareBoost Seminar: “Biobanks: Powering Discovery Across Human Disease” with Prof. Said Ismail
RareBoost is pleased to host Prof. Said Ismail for a seminar titled “Biobanks: Powering Discovery Across Human Disease” on 13 November 2026 at 11:00 AM at the IBG Aziz Sancar Auditorium.
The seminar will explore the importance of global biobanks in advancing biomedical research and improving our understanding of human diseases. Drawing on extensive experience in genomics and clinical diagnostics, Prof. Ismail will discuss how large-scale biobanking and population genomics initiatives can support scientific discovery and contribute to a better understanding of human genetic diversity and disease.
About the Speaker
Prof. Said Ismail is the Director of the Qatar Genome Programme (QGP), one of the leading national population genomics initiatives in the region, and a Professor at the College of Health and Life Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). He holds a PhD from the University of Oxford and an MSc from University College London (UCL).
With over 25 years of experience spanning research, education, clinical diagnostics, consultancy, and management, he has held several prominent academic and leadership positions. His previous roles include working at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at UCL, serving as a professor at the Medical School of the University of Jordan, directing the Clinical Genetic Diagnostics Laboratory at Jordan University Hospital, and chairing the Genomics and Cell Therapy Laboratories at King Hussein Cancer Center.
In 2015, he joined Qatar Foundation to lead the establishment of the Qatar Genome Programme. Under his leadership, QGP has grown into one of the region’s largest population genomics initiatives, generating valuable insights into the genetic makeup of Qataris and addressing the underrepresentation of Arab populations in global genomic research.
We look forward to welcoming participants to this seminar.