Qatar: New diagnostic method lessens risk for fetus |
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QUQU
students develop prenatal diagnostic technique DOHA: A new prenatal diagnostic technique developed by two Qatar UniversityQatar University students will benefit expecting mothers here, as Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has said it intends to adopt it as soon as the final stages are completed. Non-invasive Foetal RhD Genotyping, a product of one-and-a-half year of research by biomedical students Hiba Abochar and Aysha Al Barazanji, bested 115 other projects in the first ever Undergraduate Research Experience Programme (UREP) Competition organised by Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).
They were supervised by faculty members Dr Marwan Abu-Madi, Dr Ramin Badii, Dr Badreldeen Ahmed and Dr Atiya Ramadan Saif.
The researchers worked closely with HMCHMC, conducting DNA tests on several families, to develop a safer way to detect hemolytic disease of fetus and newborn, which is responsible for many prenatal deaths. The newly developed prenatal diagnostic technique, which analyses foetal genetic material obtained from the free foetal DNA circulating in maternal blood, does not constitute a risk for the fetus.
"The idea for our project came from the needs of HMCHMC," explained Abochar, adding they wanted to help improve the health of babies in Qatar even before birth.
"Not only will the new technique for genotyping that we developed save lives but it will also reduce the cost of maternal and pre-natal healthcare," she said.
"QUQU strongly supports all aspects of research and this competition demonstrates how our graduates could apply their research findings towards helping their community, in this case advancing healthcare services for mothers and babies," said the head of QUQU's Health Sciences Department, Dr Nahla Afifi.
"Out of 115 projects presented at this first-time competition, eight of the 10 finalists were from QUQU", QUQU Vice President for Research Dr Hassan Al Derham said, adding: "We are extremely proud of these students and faculty members who achieved this wonderful result."
Presentations by the competition's ten finalists were held on March 17 in front of a distinguished panel of judges headed by Dr Farouk El-Baz, Director of the Centre for Remote Sensing at Boston University, USA.
"It was a very tough competition; winning it means a lot to all of us,"said Dr Marwan Abu-Madi, one of the project supervisors.
By Raynald Rivera
© The Peninsula 2009
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