In a wonderful graduation ceremony honored by the presence of His Highness, The Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, fourteen pharmacy students proudly took to the podium to receive their Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) degrees from QU President Prof. Sheikha Al Misnad and College of Pharmacy (CPH) Acting Dean Dr. Sherief Khalifa on December 26, 2012.  

Acting Dean Sherief Khalifa expressed the sense of pride he has in watching them enter the profession of pharmacy in Qatar. “Our students have been diligent and committed since day one and I am proud to see them graduate and now move towards raising the level of pharmacy practice in Qatar. They are strong capable female role models and I am sure they will make us proud.”

Mrs. Banan Mukhalalati, Assistant Dean for Faculty and Student Affairs stated, “our students are well prepared to meet the healthcare needs of the state of Qatar. Their professional oath mandates that they continue their education throughout their professional lives to stay abreast of scientific developments in the field of pharmacy. We have a firm belief and a sense of pride that our graduates are well-equipped to meet the national health strategy and the Qatar 2030 national vision.”

CPH has received full accreditation from the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). Qatar University College of Pharmacy was the first college outside of Canada to receive accreditation from this governing body.

Seven of the BSc graduates have been accepted into the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. This post-baccalaureate degree program is designed to prepare licensed BSc (Pharm) pharmacists to practice at an advanced level and typically in the acute care environment. Kawthar Al Tawengi a CPH graduate and current PharmD student said “I am very proud of what our class has accomplished in the BSc (Pharm) program. Now that I am continuing as a PharmD student I can further strengthen my clinical skills. I am really looking forward to making a difference in the lives of the people in this great country. The PharmD program has high standards and the curriculum is demanding to meet Canadian accreditation standards. Having an accredited college in our country is a real fortune which will help the students who are interested in pharmacy profession to reach their goals, and help to improve health care in Qatar.”

Dr. Fatima Mraiche, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology in the College of Pharmacy attended the recent Qatar University Life Science Symposium (QULSS) that was held on December 12-13, 2012 at Qatar University, Ibn Khaldoun Hall. Dr. Mraiche delivered a presentation entitled "Harnessing the Power of Molecular Biotechnology in Cardiovascular Research: Through the Eyes of the Na+/H+ Exchanger Isoform 1”. This presentation focused on research that Dr. Mraiche and her team are undertaking to better understand the cellular mechanisms that lead to heart failure. In her presentation, she highlighted the use of molecular biotechnology tools such as adenoviruses and transgenic mice that are being used to assist in further understanding the cellular mechanisms that lead to heart failure.

Heart failure is one of the chronic diseases targeted by the 2011-2016 National Health Strategy. The strategy document specifically refers to the establishment of a proactive, interprofessional practice model of chronic disease management for heart failure and other chronic diseases and cites best practice examples from Alberta, Canada. Dr. Mraiche was a PhD student at the University of Alberta, Canada before arriving in Qatar in 2010 to join the college and continue her cardiac research in this country. Her research efforts will serve to help build Qatar's research capacity and the college's contributions towards better understanding and managing this devastating disease.

For a copy of the presentation slides, visit the Presentations webpage.

Qatar University College of Pharmacy (QU CPH) recently hosted delegates from the National University of Singapore (NUS). 15 students and university professors from Singapore visited the university and requested a visit to meet the faculty and tour the college of pharmacy.

Dean Sherief Khalifa introduced the Qatar University administration and gave the overview of its Canadian accredited programs as well as introducing the three degrees offered. Ms. Banan Mukhalalati, Assistant Dean of Faculty and Student Affairs highlighted the colleges enviable high faculty to student ratio, international faculty and student successes. Dr. Izham Ibrahim, Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Studies summarized the types of research projects underway, grants received to date and the importance of giving students the ability to work on research with faculty. Department Heads Drs. Ashraf Khalil & Dr. Maguy Al Hajj led discussions about the pharmaceutical science and clinical departments in their area of expertise.

Afterwards a tour to the professional skills clinical and community pharmacy facilities as well as pharmaceutical science wet labs gave the Singaporean visitors a chance to meet pharmacy students and see leading technology and equipment being utilized Qatar pharmacy students.

Professor Lai and his group of science undergraduates were duly impressed with the accreditation achievement and quality of the undergraduate and graduate programs. Future opportunities for collaboration and student exchange were also discussed.

Qatar University College of Pharmacy held its first Academic Achievement Celebratory Event on Monday December 10, 2012. Acting Dean, Dr. Sherief Khalifa and Ms. Banan Mukhalalati, Assistant Dean for the College of Pharmacy co-hosted the event and welcomed special guests from Ebn Sina Medical, Mr. Cesar Wazen from the Qatar University Scholarship Office, celebrated students, their parents and college faculty to this anticipated annual event. “Tonight we are here to celebrate the achievements of our students. They have a bright future ahead of them as pharmacists in Qatar. This is the largest group of students achieving such high distinction in a challenging program the college has ever had,” said Dr. Sherief Khalifa.

Qatar Pharmacy Undergraduate Society (QPhUS) & Qatar University (QU) College of Pharmacy students in partnership with Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA) member of Qatar Foundation, QU College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Department of Health Sciences students from biomedical science and human nutrition students and University of Calgary – Qatar (UCQ) Nursing students launched a Public Health Diabetes Awareness campaign at Landmark Mall on Friday November 23rd in support of World Diabetes Month.

“This is an opportunity for senior students from Pharmacy, Nursing, Human Nutrition and Biomedical Science disciplines to build on their didactic studies with direct patient contact under the supervision of the experts at Qatar Diabetes Association,” says Acting Dean for the College of Pharmacy, Dr. Sherief Khalifa. “Upon graduation these students will be well prepared to interact with other health care professionals and understand that helping people live healthier lives involves all health disciplines working together.”

Dr. Abdulla Al-Hamaq, The Executive Director of Qatar Diabetes Association said “we cooperated with our partners at Qatar University College of Pharmacy, QU Department of Health Sciences and the University of Calgary-Qatar to reach out to our community in delivering diabetes awareness and blood sugar screening. We believe that Diabetes awareness is the responsibility of everyone involved in the health care field and together we are stronger. In this program we targeted the people with diabetes; and those who are at risk of developing it. The studies show that frequent lifestyle advice, given by a trained health care professional, is effective in reducing the development of diabetes in people at high risk.” Dr. Al-Hamaq added.

Dr. Asma Al Thani, Acting Head of Department of Health Sciences- College of Arts and Sciences, adds that "this activity is beneficial for biomedical science students who often perform their work behind the scenes in the medical laboratories to have direct contact with the patients and to collaborate with their colleagues in the health care professions. Today Human Nutrition students provided body mass index testing and were able to then offer counseling to reduce body fat percentage and understand portion control which is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Kim Critchley, Interim Dean and CEO at the University of Calgary – Qatar says, ‘Our students are being educated not only to treat diabetes but to teach methods of preventing it. They learn how to analyze symptoms and how to spot early-warning signs. In their clinical studies, our students are treating a lot of diabetes or diabetes related ailments. Hopefully, awareness campaigns, like this one, will see those numbers decline. We highly value this campaign and are honored to be a part of it.”

Qatar Pharmacy Undergraduate Student (QPhUS) President Ibtihal Abdullah stated: “This is an event organized by QPhUS students because we are concerned about the increase in the number of diabetic patients in Qatar. Our intensive diabetes training in our program has prepared us to fulfill our role to educate the public in the prevention and management of this disease. We hope to have more collaborative inter-professional educational events in the future.”

We are pleased to announce that Mr. Ahmad Abd Rabuh, BSc Economics, has accepted a formal offer to join our college as a Finance and Administrative Coordinator.

Mr. Ahmad graduated from the University of Damascus with a Bachelor Degree in Economics. He worked in banking for a couple of banks in Doha from 2006 - 2010. Then continued in the field of  financial control and auditing in groups in Dubai from 2010 - 2011. In 2012, Mr. Ahmad worked in business development and feasibility reporting of some petrochemical products. Mr. Ahmad is currently pursuing a Master Degree in Financial Analysis.

We are very happy to have Mr. Ahmad joining our college, and we are sure that he will have a very important role in the success of the college.

Welcome on board, Mr. Ahmad! 

The College of Pharmacy at Qatar University is delighted to announce that Dr. Ahmed Awaisu has been appointed by the World Health Organization (W.H.O), Western Pacific Regional Office to be the lead consultant to undertake a review of the health system development for Malaysia (1990 to 2012) following the nomination of the Institute for Health Services Research (IHSR) Malaysia. Dr. Awaisu’s primary role in this consultancy activity is in advisory capacity for IHSR to achieve a review of health system development towards achievement of universal health coverage geared towards the Millennium Development Goals. The main tasks are to advise the Malaysian based research institute on listing of key country events that have impacted on health system development and/or functioning towards achievement of universal coverage, conducting key informants interviews on health systems strategies, and summarizing the W.H.O. and other development partners inputs to health system development from 1990 to date.

Qatar University OAR (Office of Academic Research) released the results of its 2012 Academic Year fall semester cycle. The College of Pharmacy received sixteen research grants, 11 of which are related to the undergraduate course, Directed Studies: Research Based Learning (PHAR445). The college achieved a total fund of QR157,476.

Dr. Kyle Wilby received a research reward for a research paper under the Qatar University Research Reward Program. The reward is based on published peer-reviewed research papers in a journal with impact factor above 1.0. This innovative program aims to increase research productivity and the University's academic rank. The research paper can be viewed by clicking here. More information about the research reward program can be found here. 

In addition, he has been chosen as the winner of the CSHP - BC (Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists - British Columbia) Branch Publication Award (Category: Original Research Article). The research paper can be viewed by clicking here.

Recently College of Pharmacy faculty members attended several international conferences. They presented posters related to their research in Clinical Pharmacy and Practice, and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Drs Maguy and Ahmed presented at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Annual Meeting in Hollywood, Florida, USA; Dr Husam participated in the 2012 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Chicago, IL, USA; Dr Kyle presented at the 17th World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility (COGI) in Lisbon, Portugal; and Dr Kerry went to the ISPOR 15th Annual European Conference in Berlin, Germany. In addition, Dr Husam also has been invited as a guest speaker at the 15th Scientific Congress of the Association of Pharmacy Colleges in the Arab World & the 3rd International Conference of the Faculty of Pharmacy / the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan. Their participations and contributions were important for the future development of research at the college.

On November 7, 8, 2013, 23 graduates from the College of Pharmacy BSc (Pharm) degree program wrote the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) written Qualifying Examination. This was the first time this Canadian examination has been written on foreign soil.

College of Pharmacy Acting Dean Dr. Sherief Khalifa and Assistant Dean Mrs. Banan Mukhalalati met with over 55 pre-pharmacy students in 2 sessions during the month of November to provide information regarding the pharmacy admission process and answer students queries.

Dr. Sherief discussed the progressive role of pharmacists in Qatar and how students in the college will need to be prepared to be "change agents" in a rapidly evolving industry. The Dean and Assistant Dean reviewed the structured selection process and explained why both academic and non-academic criteria are considered. The Deans also described how the process ensures fair and equitable decisions on the basis of student performance. Attributes of a student who will thrive in this program include good time management, study skills and computer proficiency which are valuable skills for any college. As well as being health care providers, clinical pharmacists must be good information managers. Critically evaluating the right information at the right time can make a difference in the quality of life of patients, and it is important that students develop the skills and attitudes necessary to ensure they become committed and efficient lifelong learners.

“Admission to the college is competitive and we are continuing to see high caliber students in the pre-pharmacy program. Meeting with the pre-pharmacy students helps to ensure they understand the challenges ahead, the commitment they will be required to make and encourages them to work hard to accomplish their dreams and fulfill the goals of the college and the university. I was very impressed with how mature and well-spoken these students are,” said Acting Dean Sherief Khalifa. Mrs. Banan Mukhalalati, Assistant Dean for Faculty and Student Affairs comments, “Our meetings are also an opportunity to establish good communication between the college and pre-pharmacy students. We wish them much success in their pre-pharmacy years and in their application to the college. For many, they will represent the bright future for health care in Qatar”.

Pre-pharmacy students are encouraged to visit the college website for details regarding the admission process and pre-requisites, meet with the Academic Advisor, Ms. Ghada Al Kuwari, talk with current pharmacy students and Alumni and to participate in QPhUS outreach healthcare activities. This will help to ensure they make a well-informed decision about a career in pharmacy.

The video recordings of the two sessions can be viewed here: (Session 1) (Session 2)

Dr. Mohamed Izham visited Nepal (October 25th - November 2nd, 2012) and served as a resource person and facilitator in pharmacy training, education and research. The visit was his 5th visit to Nepal in the mission to develop human capital and enhance research capacity in the pharmaceutical sector of the country. During the visit, he visited College of Medical Sciences, Bharatpur and Kist Medical College, Khatmandu where he participated in workshop, dialogue and student training.

For further details, go to the following link to view the workshop presentation.

Qatar University’s College of Pharmacy (CPH) held its 6th annual White Coat inauguration ceremony on Monday October 22, 2012. The symbolic event included the taking of the Oath of a Pharmacist by 24 new pharmacy students and donning the pharmacist’s White Coat in an inspirational ceremony attended by over 260 people.

Assistant Dean for the College, Mrs. Banan Mukhalalati welcomed the attendees who included QU Acting Vice President & Chief Academic Officer Dr. Mazen Hasna; Primary Health Care Pharmacy Director Dr. Mahmoud Al Mahmoud; Hamad Medical Corporation Pharmacy Consultant Dr. Michael Fahey, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at the National Centre for Cancer Care & Research (NCCCR) Dr. Shireen ElAzzazy, representatives from HMC, Primary Health Care, Ebn Sina Medical, Well Care Group, College of the North Atlantic Qatar, CPH students and their families, CPH faculty, alumni, staff, and well-wishers.

Acting Dean Khalifa remarked, “The college is continuing its aggressive plan to meet the healthcare needs in Qatar. We offer multi-career paths for our students so they can influence the future in community pharmacy, primary health care clinics, hospitals, academia and research. Our partners in these professions participate with us tonight to celebrate the future leaders of Qatar as they embark on their educational and clinical training. The program for pharmacy development is much richer with the 560 weeks on- site training provided by our health care partners and for that we are well positioning our students to make a difference from their first day of their career.”

“We continue to see very capable students applying to the College of Pharmacy. This is another exciting year for the College as we are not only cloaking our 6th incoming class but we also have two BSc (Pharm) and our first Doctor of Pharmacy graduates now working to deliver advanced healthcare in Qatar. In addition, this year our Masters program in pharmacy (MSc (Pharm)), the first masters program in health sciences in the country is expected to graduate its first class to further meet Qatar’s health science research needs”, said CPH Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies , Dr. Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim.

First-year Qatari pharmacy student Shorouk Abdelkader said, “I am very pleased to be part of the pharmacy profession. Upon wearing the white coat tonight I am now a member of the healthcare team and I promise to do my best for society inshallah. I take my vows I recited seriously. I am grateful to my family for their continuous encouragement and they are very proud of my accomplishments." (press releases)

Eight College of Pharmacy faculty members participated in the poster presentation at the Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum and Arab Expatriate Scientists Network Symposium 2012 held from October 13 - 21, 2012 at the Qatar National Convention Centre. One of the aims of this event is to provide a venue for the Arab scientists from around the world to meet, discuss and encourage further collaboration through research.

Faculty members presented their research work both in the areas of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy and Practice. For further details, go to the following link to view the posters.

Dr. Sherief Khalifa attended the FIP congress (October 3 - 8, 2012) and participated in the “Dean’s Forum” that included 60 deans of colleges of pharmacy from around the world. Topics discussed included an international core curriculum covering core competencies for all colleges of pharmacy, interprofessional education and collaborative practice, socially accountable medical education and other topics relevant to pharmacy education and practice. The conference also provided opportunities for networking with pharmacy educators regionally and from around the world. Several initiatives are now in place and are expected to enhance the educational experience of our students at the College of Pharmacy.

Qatar University College of Pharmacy (QU-CPH) MSc student Ms Iman Abdelaziz recently returned from a successful two-month summer research internship at the University of Alberta (U of A), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 

The second-year Master’s student was formally invited to work at U of A’s highly- advanced research laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Gary Lopaschuk, Dr. Larry Fliegel and the research team that comprised MSc, PhD and post-doctoral fellowship students.

Iman’s summer project focused on investigating two proteins that have been shown to play a role in cardiac hypertrophy, a predisposing factor to heart failure, an issue that is an important area of interest to Qatar and the wider GCC. During her internship she developed new basic science skills including isolating neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes and characterizing them for cardiac hypertrophy. In this experience, she acquired novel techniques, the majority of which will be adapted into QU’s pharmacology lab.

“Thanks to the continuous support and tireless efforts of Dr. Fatima Mraiche and the CPH team, I had a very exciting and informative summer internship. I look forward to applying what I have learned to my MSc project here in Qatar”, Iman said.

Iman presented her summer research project and some of the preliminary data to members of both Dr. Lopaschuk and Dr. Fleigel’s labs, and attended other scientific events such as seminars held by the Cardiovascular Research Center and workshops hosted by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at UofA. She also represented QU and the College of Pharmacy as a mentor at the Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST) Networking Fair, and at their 6th Annual Golf Tournament.

Iman’s supervisor and CPH Assistant Professor Dr. Fatima Mraiche said: “We are proud of Iman being selected for this invaluable internship and for her excellent representation of QU and CPH”.

CPH Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Studies Dr. Mohamed Izham Ibrahim said, “We anticipate sending more MSc students to participate in these internships and externships as we are not only growing the future pharmacy leaders of Qatar but also advancing our community service efforts in preparing professionals and experts to take their place in the community and provide its members with optimum healthcare in line with the goals of the National Health Strategy”. (press releases)

Forty senior female students from Um Ayman Independent School visited the College of Pharmacy on Thursday October 4, 2012. Ms. Ghadah Al Kuwari, Academic Advisor and Qatar University’s Doctor of Pharmacy graduates welcomed the students and provided a detailed presentation about the different academic programs offered by the College of Pharmacy. Following the presentation, the students were invited to a tour of pharmaceutical sciences and professional skills laboratories.

Mrs. Banan Mukhalalati, Assistant Dean for Faculty and Student Affairs provided a focus group session for Qatari students that was specifically designed for them as part of the College's effort to build capacity from within Qatar’s own nationals to provide capable and highly skilled Qatari pharmacy practitioners for Qatar’s health care facilities and pharmacy educators for the College of Pharmacy at Qatar University. This focus group discussed the new career options available to Qataris in the profession of pharmacy. One young female student commented, “ my family will be happy to know I can receive my Doctor Of Pharmacy degree at the college. There are many opportunities for Qataris to be at the forefront of healthcare”.

We are pleased to announce that Mrs. Rula Shami Haddad, BSc Pharmacy, has accepted to join the College of Pharmacy as a full-time Research Assistant with Dr. Daoud Al-Badriyeh in his QU internal grant on the project entitled “The impact of a structured evidence-based drug selection approach in Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar”.

Mrs. Rula graduated with a BSc from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Beirut Arab University in 1998. Mrs. Rula then joined the pharmaceutical industry, working with Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, and then Bristol-Myers-Squibb. She acted as a senior medical representative before she became an area sales manager until 2009. Her training included certificates in salesability and gain selling, orientation to hospital selling, key hospital account management, dealing with difficult customers, and the standards in business conducts and ethics.

Welcome on board, Mrs. Rula!

As part of the college’s commitment in serving the community and encouraging collaboration between university departments and centers, the Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Teaching Laboratory at CPH hosted a one week school teachers' orientation and training sessions that were held between September 23 and 27, 2012 as part of the Al-Bairaq World Program. This is an initiative of the Qatar University's Materials Technology Center (MTC) aimed at promoting the teaching and appreciation of science in Qatar's secondary schools.

Dr. Husam Younes, the principal coordinator of the Pharmaceutics series of courses at CPH, described the collaboration between CPH and Al-Bairaq program as an example of good team work in which the college facilitated the utilization of its teaching laboratories and educational facilities to serve such initiative and participated in its success.

Starting in Spring 2012, Qatar University began offering Graduate Assistantship (GA) awards on a competitive basis to selected newly admitted graduate students applying from the local population in Qatar as well as from the international pool of applicants. The College of Pharmacy Graduate Assistantship Award went to Ms. Heba El-Gamal who joined the MSc (Pharm) program in 12AY.

We are pleased Ms. Heba El-Gamal, BSc Pharmacy, has accepted to join the college as the first College of Pharmacy Graduate Assistant, who reports to the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies.

Ms. Heba graduated with a Bachelor in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Cairo University , Giza, Egypt in 2009 with an excellent grade equivalent to a GPA of 4.0. Prior to joining the college, Ms. Heba gained experience in the laboratory and as a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

We are very happy that Ms. Heba was successful in getting this graduate assistantship and we congratulate her.

The college welcomed its fifth class of baccalaureate students this week. Twenty-five applicants were promoted from the pre-pharmacy program after a rigorous selection process to identify those with the best academic and non-academic qualifications. This is the third year in which a maximum capacity class has been admitted. These students will complete 173 credit-hours of courses including 24 weeks of structured internships before graduating from the Canadian-accredited undergraduate program.

Our congratulations (mabrook!) to the BSc (Pharm) class of 2016 and we wish them all the best as they embark on their new career.

We are pleased to announce that Mr. Ahmad Alkaddour, BA Pharmacy, has accepted a formal offer to join us in September of 2012 as a Research Assistant with Dr. Maguy El Hajj in her NPRP Smoking Cessation Project.

Mr. Ahmad graduated with a BA in Pharmacy from Jordan University of Science and Technology in Jordan in 2011. He worked in Irbid academic center during his studies. Mr. Ahmad did several pharmacy internships in community pharmacies in Jordan and in Primary Health Care clinics in Qatar. He also worked at Future Medical center in Qatar in 2011.

Welcome on board, Mr. Ahmad!

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Mai Jaballah, MSc Pharmaceutical Sciences, has accepted a formal offer to join us in September of 2012 as a Research Assistant with Dr. Fatima Mraiche in her QU internal grant.

Ms. Mai Jaballah graduated with a BSc. (Honors) from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Ainshams University Egypt in 2002. Ms. Mai than pursued a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the same university. She successfully completed her Master’s degree in 2007. Her Master’s degree focused on the design and synthesis of pyrazole derivatives and their application as anti-diabetic agents. She then became an Assistant Lecture in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ainshams University. As an Assistant Lecture she was involved in teaching and running lab based courses.

We have no doubt that Ms. Mai’s contributions to the research activities in the lab will help in achieving the lab’s research mandate and the overall mission of the College of Pharmacy.

Welcome on board, Ms. Mai!

We are pleased to announce that Tamara Marji, MSc (Pharm) has accepted a formal offer to join us in September of 2012 as a Research Assistant in the Pharmaceutics and Polymeric Drug Delivery Research Laboratory (PPDDRL) that was recently established in the College of Pharmacy. Ms. Marji completed a BSc. Pharm. at Jordan University of Science and Technology in 2005, followed by MSc Pharm. at Jordan University of Science and Technology in 2008. Ms. Marji’s main specialty is Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Control with emphasis on use and characterization of polymeric excipient in formulation of drug substances. Ms. Marji has hands on experience in conducting experiments using analytical instruments, including NMR, FTIR, UV Spectrophotometer, DSC and XRD.

Ms. Marji is the third research assistant appointed in the new state of the art PPDDRL led by Dr. Husam Younes in the College of Pharmacy. The laboratory was funded over the last three years with around 2.5 Million dollars through three of the Qatar Foundation’s National Priority Research Program grants to conduct research on development of novel polymers for controlled/targeted drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. Ms. Tamara will be an active member of a laboratory research team of graduate students, research assistants and postdoctoral fellows. We have no doubt that Ms. Marji’s contributions to the research activities in the lab will help in achieving the lab’s research mandate and the overall mission of the College of Pharmacy.

Welcome on board, Ms. Marji!

Both the PharmD and MSc (Pharm) programs are in the second year of their operation. This academic year, 8 female students joined the full-time PharmD program and 9 students (6 males and 3 females) joined the part-time PharmD program. In addition, four female students were accepted into the MSc (Pharm) program. Five PhD-trained pharmaceutical sciences faculty are prepared to act as research supervisors for these MSc students in collaboration with off campus partners. More information about the College of Pharmacy graduate programs, can be found here.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently signed between Qatar University’s College of Pharmacy (CPH) and Purdue University (PU) USA will advance student exchange activities at the level of Bachelor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy programs of the two institutions.

Commenting on the agreement, CPH Acting Dean Dr Sherief Khalifa said: “Partnership with a well-recognized institution such as Purdue University will present critical opportunities for the College as it continues its mission to be among the best pharmacy colleges in the world. Our students and faculty will derive considerable benefit from this agreement . Similarly, PU students and faculty will have the opportunity of engaging with their colleagues from our college and experiencing pharmacy practice in Qatar. Above all, this agreement will serve to advance pharmacy education at QU as well as pharmacy practice and healthcare delivery in Qatar in line with the country's National Health Strategy” and Qatar’s National Vision 2030. (press releases)

Professor Peter Jewesson has signed a consultancy agreement with the university effective September 1, 2012. In a senior advisory capacity, Dr. Jewesson will be supporting the university on a number of initiatives including strategic planning, international accreditation and the design of the new college of pharmacy building. While primarily based in North America, Dr. Jewesson will be returning to Qatar regularly in this new capacity.

College of Pharmacy student Ghadeer Daghash won first place in the senior level patient counseling skills competition at the 58th annual International Pharmacy Student Federation (IPSF) World Congress held in Hurghada, Egypt on August 1-11, 2012.

Ghadeer was one of 10 CPH students who joined over 500 pharmacy students from around the world at the 11-day educational, scientific and cultural symposium. The event included a scientific poster competition and presentations from experts on the latest in scientific research and technological advancements. The students also participated in a number of educational activities such as lectures, student skills competitions, regional assemblies and student-led workshops, as well as cultural trips and Egyptian folk dancing.

Ghadeer said: “Competing on an international level has strengthened my professional skills as a pharmacy student. During our period of study at the College, we are given the opportunity to develop important skills which will in future enhance our care of patients and compliance with international pharmacy standards. Winning in this category showed that I am equipped with the necessary skills and I have the College to thank for helping me to build and develop them to this level”.

Commenting on the students’ participation in the symposium, CPH Acting Dean Dr Sherief Khalifa said: “Participating in such forums gives our students an invaluable opportunity to break the boundaries of distance, language, and culture and to connect with peers from around the world. Their participation underlines QU’s commitment to advancing pharmacy education and practice as well as creating pharmacy leaders who will make a difference and lead the change”. (press releases)

Qatar National Research Fund Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) announced the results of its 12th grant cycle in July 2012. The College of Pharmacy received two research grants and these were awarded to Dr. Dalia Hamdy and Dr. Shankar Munusamy.

The projects focus on topics that are in alignment with the National Health Strategy and include therapeutic aspects for cardiovascular disease and obesity. The college achieved a 33% application success rate for this cycle and with a total fund around USD 19,200.

For more information about UREP, go here.

CPH students participated in the 3rd annual Eastern Mediterranean Regional Symposium (EMPS) in Khartoum, Sudan. The joined colleagues from African and Arab countries at the five-day educational, scientific and cultural event. The conference included leadership-in-training events, educational and scientific symposiums, skill competitions, and a visit to industry sites. They also had an exciting experience participating in a humanitarian campaign that involved students interacting directly with the public to promote health care initiatives. Cultural activities included museum visits, a Nile trip and a cultural entertainment evening.

“Our students continue to show initiative in sharing their experiences and training with other students in the region who are attracted by our accredited status and want to learn more about our programs,” said Acting CPH Dean Dr. Sherief Khalifa.

CPH faculty members Drs. Nadir Kheir and Ahmed Awaisu also participated in the event as guest speakers for lectures, workshops and presentations. Dr. Kheir commented that the symposium was “an excellent opportunity for pharmacy students to take what they have learned in the College a step further to contribute to the advancement of local communities through health care campaigns”.

Qatar has been an active member of IPSF since 2008 at both the regional and international level and hosted the 2nd Annual EMPS Symposium in July 10-15, 2011. Student delegates will participate in the 59th annual IPSF on July 30-August 9 next year in the Netherlands.

Five College of Pharmacy faculty members received research rewards for a total of nine research papers under the Qatar University Research Reward. The reward is based on published peer-reviewed research papers in journal with impact factor above 1.0 . This innovative program aims to increase research productivity and the University's academic rank. The college members who received research rewards are Dr. Ahmed Awaisu, Dr. Sherief Khalifa, Dr. Fatima Mraiche, Dr. Nadir Kheir, and Dr. Mohamed Izham. The research papers can be found by clicking on the member names. More information about the research reward program can be found here.

The College of Pharmacy graduated the first PharmD class this month, June 2012. These are the first ever domestic doctoral graduates in the profession of pharmacy in the State of Qatar. The PharmD program is designed to meet international standards for an advanced degree in the health sciences field. It involves post-baccalaureate study designed to build on the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values developed during the undergraduate degree experience. The goal of the program is to educate pharmacy practitioners to become highly proficient in the delivery and evaluation of pharmaceutical care, and to further advance the practice of pharmacy.

To meet the requirements of graduation, 10 students completed an additional 36 credit-hours of full-time course requirements (209 credit hours total) over a 12-month period, including 32 weeks of structured experiential training under the mentorship of select practicing pharmacists at various inpatient and ambulatory care practice sites in Qatar. The PharmD program build on the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values developed during the undergraduate degree experience. The goal of the program is to educate pharmacy practitioners to become highly proficient in the delivery and evaluation of pharmaceutical care, and to further advance the practice of pharmacy.

Qatar University’s College of Pharmacy (CPH) has been officially recognized by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC), the national certification body for the pharmacy profession in Canada. The move by PEBC recognizes the College’s BSc (Pharm) graduates as graduates of a pharmacy program accredited by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). This means the college’s graduates will not be required to sit the PEBC Pharmacist Evaluating Examination but will be permitted direct entry to the PEBC Pharmacist Qualifying Examination, which is typically reserved for pharmacy graduates in Canada and the US.

The PEBC will also deliver Part 1 of its Pharmacist Qualifying Examination in Qatar on a pilot basis. This will take place in November, allowing CPH students to sit the exam in Doha, making it the first time it will be delivered outside of North America, and which, if successful, will be repeated annually.

CPH Dean Dr Peter Jewesson described the recognition as a very important milestone for the new program, the university and for Qatar-Canada relations. “Under the new National Health Strategy, Qatar seeks to improve healthcare outcomes for its citizens by improving services and research aimed at improving the effectiveness and quality of healthcare. The college plays an important role in this initiative. “Benchmarking our program against Canadian standards through the CCAPP program accreditation and the PEBC competency standards is an important component of our strategic planning and reflects our commitment to continuous quality improvement.”

QU vice president and chief academic officer Dr Sheikha bint Jabor al-Thani praised the College’s efforts in developing its stature and its continued pursuit for quality and excellence. “It recognizes all the hard work undertaken by the College of Pharmacy to establish itself as a centre of excellence operating according to the very best practices worldwide.”

The CPH, one of QU’s seven colleges, was established in 2007 to help meet the country’s growing demand for pharmacy experts. It is the first and only pharmacy college in Qatar and currently offers three degree programs – an undergraduate BSc (Pharm) degree, from which the first students graduated last year; a research-based Master’s program (MSc), from which the first students will graduate in 2013; and a full-time post-baccalaureate Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree with its first students expected to graduate in July this year, and its part-time students in 2014.

The CPH is also the first international pharmacy program to be awarded CCAPP accreditation status.

Two students from Qatar University's Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Program at the College of Pharmacy (QU CPH) left Doha last Monday for the US to undertake clinical internships at the University of South Carolina (USC) and Xavier University (XU). This was the first time QU pharmacy students have travelled outside of the country for training purposes.

Amaal Hersi Gulied and Rihab Mohamed Kaissi are among the class of ten students who will be the first PharmD degree trained graduates from Qatar. The internships follow the signing of two clinical training agreements this year involving QU CPH and both the South Carolina College of Pharmacy (SCU CPH) and Xavier University College of Pharmacy (XU CPH).

The agreements facilitate the bilateral student exchange among all three universities to ensure that, as future health care professionals, they are better prepared for the advanced pharmacy practice. Under the two agreements, up to five selected QU CPH PharmD students will participate annually in 4-week elective clinical/academic internships at SCU and XU in a teaching hospital setting, under the mentorship of academic pharmacy clinicians. On a reciprocal basis, up to 5 students from each of the SCU and XU Doctor of Pharmacy programs will participate annually in international pharmacy education and practice internships in Qatar under the mentorship of a CPH faculty member.

XU College of Pharmacy has the distinction of being the recipient of a $12.5m donation from His Highness The Emir to rebuild it after it was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The building is aptly named the 'Qatar Pharmacy Pavilion'. The donation also included scholarships valued at $5m for students who were affected by the disaster. During the 2010 academic year, QU CPH hosted clinical professor and Fulbright Scholar Dr Sara Al Dahir from XU CPH.

Commenting on their placements at the respective universities, Amaal and Rihab both agreed
that it was an invaluable opportunity for them to be exposed to a different setting and to a new set of faculty and students. Amaal stated, 'Being accepted for an international drug information rotation at SCU is a great privilege and opportunity that would add to my clinical experience as a clinical pharmacist. I anticipate a very challenging experience that would help me become a drug information expert. I would like to send my thanks to SCU and QU CPH for making this possible.' Commenting on her first day at XU, Rihab said, 'It was wonderful meeting with the surgical team, participating in critical care patient rounds and attending a lecture on brain death and withdrawal of care. I also met students from an Islamic social group and have been made to feel very welcome here.' Rihab also featured in XU's Pharmacy Times in an article titled "Reflections of a Qatar International Exchange Student".

CPH Dean Prof Peter Jewesson said, 'This activity marks another important milestone in the short history of this college. I congratulate these young pioneers on being the first QU pharmacy students to venture beyond the borders of this region to further their training. They will be excellent ambassadors for Qatar. Placing our students in a US-based health care environment for part of their training will help to ensure they are better prepared to meet the demands of the evolving health care system in Qatar, and to meet the expectations of the national health strategy. This program will also give US students the opportunity to experience pharmacy education and practice in Qatar, and will serve to broaden their perspectives about the country and the region.'

Dr Jewesson also congratulated CPH's PharmD Program Director Dr Kerry Wilbur and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Dr Sherief Khalifa, SCU CPH Executive Dean Dr Joe diPiro, XU CPH Dean Dr Kathleen Kennedy, and Dr Sara Al Dahir for making the exchange possible. 'The future of pharmacy education and practice in Qatar looks bright, thanks to the collaboration and commitment of these individuals,' he said. (press releases)

Qatar University College of Pharmacy (CPH) held its second annual student research forum on May 29, 2012. This public event was organized to showcase faculty-mentored research projects involving undergraduate and postgraduate students over the past year.

The event was coordinated by Drs. Daoud Al-Badriyeh, Assistant Professor of Pharmacoeconomics and Dr. Mohamed Izham, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies as a special session under the college's continuing professional development series. Dean Peter Jewesson hosted the event and six faculty-student research teams delivered short oral presentations and answered questions from over 80 registrants in attendance. Ms. Tammy King and Dr. Nadir Kheir also contributed to the organization and delivery of the event.

Dr. Kerry Wilbur, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Director, Doctor of Pharmacy Program and PharmD student Samah El Salem co-delivered an oral presentation on patient perceptions of pharmacists roles in guiding self-medication of over-the-counter medications in a primary care setting. This was a joint project with Qatar Petroleum Medical Services and involved co-investigator and senior pharmacist Dr. Ibrahim Mohammadi. The project involved over 550 patients from 29 countries, and the study results were published in the journal Patient Preference and Adherence in 2010. Dr. Fatima Mraiche, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and research supervisor of MSc (Pharm) candidate, Iman Abdel Aziz co-delivered an oral presentation on cellular mechanisms leading to cardiac hypertrophy. This will be the focus of this graduate student's thesis project and Ms. Abdel Aziz will be spending time at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute (Alberta, Canada) cardiovascular research laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Gary Lopaschuk and his colleagues this summer towards completion of the requirements of her degree program.

Dr. Shankar Munusamy, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and two 4th year BSc (Pharm) students, Amna Fadul and Muna Al Ismail, co-delivered an oral presentation on the possible protective role of the spice, curcumin against cell injury using embryonic kidney cells. This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Daoud Al- Badriyeh and two students 4th year students, Amina Benilles and Rajaa Al Qudah on trends in cardiovascular medication utilization trends in the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) setting over 5-year period. This was a joint project with HMC and involved co-investigator and pharmacy consultant, Dr. Michael Fahey. Dr. Husam Younes, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics and two 3rd year BSc (Pharm) students, Meena Basri and Ghadeer Daghash then co-delivered an oral presentation on the synthesis and characterization of a product being developed as a novel dosage form for the localized delivery of medications. The final presentation of the evening was by Dr. Ahmed Awaisu, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and two 3rd year students, Aisha Hagi and Marwa Ashour who co-delivered a presentation on their large study on public perceptions topic of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs in Qatar.

Following the presentations, faculty and guests met with the BSc (Pharm), MSc (Pharm), PharmD students and discussed the content of 28 research posters, 22 peer-reviewed publication abstracts and 17 research project proposal abstracts that reflect some of the college's research productivity over the past year.

Dean Jewesson commented "This evening marks the second annual event to showcase the contributions our students, faculty and partners towards the advancement of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences knowledge in this country. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that students develop critical thinking skills and a commitment to both consume and create new knowledge. We embrace project-based learning as one of the components of our study plan and every BSc (Pharm) student completes at least two research projects before graduation. I congratulate our faculty members who designed and coordinated these relevant research projects. Their mentorship is essential to the development of Qatar's future health care professionals and scientists. Mabrook to all."

For further information, go to the following links to view the research project posters and oral presentations. (photo gallery)

We are pleased to announce that Mr. Ahmad Abu Helwa, MSc (Pharm) has accepted a formal offer to join us as a Research Assistant in the new Pharmaceutics and Polymeric Drug Delivery Research Laboratory (PPDDRL) that has recently been established in the College of Pharmacy. 

Mr. Abu Helwa completed a BSc in Pharmacy at University of Jordan in 2009, followed by MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences with distinction at the University of Iowa, USA in 2011. Mr. Abu Helwa’s main specialty is Pharmaceutics with emphasis on the development and characterization of sustained release dosage forms. He worked as a research & teaching assistant at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan (2006-2009) and at the Department of Pharmaceutics & Translational Therapeutics at the University of Iowa, USA (2009-2011). Mr. Abu Helwa’s experience and contributions to the field were documented in peer reviewed publications, scientific reports and conferences abstracts. Mr. Abu Helwa has hands on experience in conducting experiments using analytical instruments, including HPLC, GC, FT-IR, UV and DSC. He has also an extensive experience in tablet formulation, dissolution testing, drug release modeling, spray drying process, spray congealing process and in vitro cytotoxicity assays.

Mr. Abu Helwa is the second Research Assistant to be appointed in the new state of the art PPDDRL lead by Dr. Husam Younes. The laboratory recently received US $2.3 M funding (3 grants) from Qatar Foundation National Priority Research Program to support research pertaining to the development and characterization of novel polymers for controlled/targeted drug delivery and tissue engineering applications.

Mr. Abu Helwa will be an active member of a research team of undergraduate and graduate students, research assistants and postdoctoral fellows in the PPDDR Laboratory. We welcome Mr. Abu Helwa to our team and have no doubt that his contributions will strengthen our goal of advancing pharmacy research and health outcomes in this country.

Welcome on board, Mr. Abu Helwa!

The College of Pharmacy has participated in the 2nd Biomedical and Translational Research Symposium organized by Anti-Doping Lab Qatar (May 16 & 17, 2012) with a delegation from the faculty members Drs. Ashraf Khalil, Mohamed Izham and Shankar Munusamy. Dr. Ashraf delivered a presentation entitled “Pharmaceutical Sciences Research in the College of Pharmacy: An overview".

The two-day symposium included 19 speakers covering different topics from all over the world. A number of research related Qatari institutions with medical and educational backgrounds have participated in the event including Hamad Medical Corporation, Sidra, Shafallah Centre, Qatar National Research Fund, Qatar Foundation and Weill Cornell Medical College Qatar, among others. The symposium has also brought related organizations from outside Qatar, like the World Anti-Doping Laboratory, the Austrian Institute of Technology-Seibersdorf Laboratories, Lebanese University, Università del Sannio and others.

Ten professors from the Qatar University College of Pharmacy (QU CPH) and two University of British Columbia PharmD students training in Qatar participated in a webinar with members of the University of Toronto Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (UT FPH) on May 14, 2012.

The focus of the 90-minute internet-based professional development event was the use of "OSCE" (objective structured clinical examinations) for the purpose of testing clinical skill performance in the pharmacy profession. Dr. Zubin Austin, a Professor at UT FP with well-published expertise in this form of competency assessment lead the session with a short presentation on "OSCE-ology" followed by a discussion between members of the respective academic units. The session was organized by Maria Bystrin (UT FPH) and Dr. Bridget Javed (QU CPH) as part of the local college's regular seminar series and reflects a commitment by the college towards further improvements in educational outcomes in the BSc and PharmD programs. OSCE represents a circuit of short assessment stations in which students are examined on a individual basis by examiners. Real or simulated (actor) patients are involved, students rotation through all stations and competence in skills such as communication, prescription reconciliation, time-limited decision-making and general problem-solving are assessed.

Dr. Jewesson, Dean of the College, noted that "...the college undertakes a series of similar practical examinations as a requirement of graduation within the BSc and PharmD programs and we intend to further evolve these assessments to emulate conditions in the Canadian environment. Ultimately, we anticipate that this form of competency assessment will be employed by the Supreme Council for Health (SCH) as a component of the national licensure for our profession. Under a recently signed memorandum of understanding between QU CPH and SCH, we expect to collaborate with them in this regard and we hope that UT FPH will partner with us on this important initiative. Assessment of clinical competency is an important component of the new national health strategy and this activity helps to advance the quality health care provided in this country."

To view the video capture of the event, go to the following link.

Faculty researchers Dr. Fatima Mraiche and Dr. Daoud Al Badriyeh were the recipients of two 2011AY Qatar University Research Grants totaling almost QAR 300,000.

Dr. Mraiche received her research grant for her project entitled "In Vitro Regulation of Na+/H+ Exchange Isoform 1 Activity and Expression in Cardiac Hypertrophy Through Inhibition of p90 Ribosomal S6 Kinase". This project focuses on investigation into the causes of heart failure. Heart failure is estimated to account for 29% of the yearly total mortality worldwide with approximately 16.7 million deaths per annum. According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 550,000 new cases of heart failure occur every year. Heart failure is recognized as a major public health burden in Qatar and is listed as national research priority. In 2002, ischemic heart disease was one of the leading causes of death in Qatar. The magnitude of the problem in Qatar and around the world necessitates research efforts aimed to better understand the complex pathways involved in the onset of heart failure, with the hope of identifying therapeutic targets for the early diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Through her research project, Dr. Mraiche will contribute to a better understanding the fundamental underlying mechanisms in the development of heart failure, particularly during pathological hypertrophy, likely holds the key for potentially effective heart failure management. The outcome of her research will allow her and other scientists, whether in Qatar or around the world, to initiate future studies and elaborate on our ideas, which will further advance our understanding of heart failure and its management. The project will also introduce state of the art techniques in Qatar such as the creation and use of adenoviruses for research purposes. She states that this type of research will be a very important building step in preparation for the Qatar Cardiovascular Research Centre and establishing Qatar as an important research hub. In addition, this type of research and breeding of scientists will also be important in paving the way for Qatar to achieve the highest international standards in biomedical research.

Dr. Al Badriyeh received his research grant for his project entitled "The Impact of a Structured Evidence-based Drug Selection Approach in Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Qatar". This project will be conducted with collaborators from HMC pharmacy and medical departments (Ms. Manal Zaidan, Dr. Michael Fahey, Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal) as well as the University of Jordan (Dr. Ibrahim Al-Abbadi). This project focuses on investigation into further improvements of the process of selecting life-saving medications for patients with cardiovascular and cancer diseases in the Qatar acute care hospital setting using an adaptation of a previously applied drug selection approach known as “Safe Therapeutic Economic Pharmaceutical Selection (STEPS)”. The study will target two classes of medications (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and colony stimulating factors (CSFs)) and will assess the benefits of applying a systematic selection approach at the large teaching hospital to ensure the best product is selected for use. If successful, this study is expected to lead to a more evidence-based interprofessional approach to medication formulary decision-making in the hospital setting, increase medication safety and ultimately reduce medication associated costs. Ultimately, Dr. Badriyeh hopes to see improved patient care outcomes resulting from this novel innovation. The unique project also represents a capacity-building exercise within Qatar that is in alignment with the national health strategy with a focus on health policy rather than direct patient care. As such, this project is an important complement to the balance of research being undertaken in this college and in Qatar.

The college is grateful to the Qatar University Office of Academic Research for selecting this health care research projects for funding and wishes the investigators success in their pursuit of new knowledge that directly contributes to the well being of the citizens of this country.

Dr Ahmed Awaisu attended and orally presented a research paper at the Geneva Health Forum 2012 (GHF 2012). He won a travel grant from the organizers to attend the conference. The conference was held at the International Conference Center of Geneva, Switzerland from 18 to 20 April, 2012. Over 1000 participants from different countries attended the forum. The theme of the GHF this year was “towards global access to health” with much emphasis on chronic diseases, especially the non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Overall, the forum reframed the global debate on access to healthcare by gathering multi-sectorial representation of front liners including researchers, healthcare professionals, social and community health workers, and policymakers. Strategies for translating research and policy into practice were highlighted by tapping on testimonies from experts and front liners.

For a copy of the presentation slides, visit the Presentations webpage.   

Assistant Professor Dr. Dalia Hamdy delivered an invited presentation at the CAS Department of Health Sciences (DHS) Aging and Health Forum. Dr. Hamdy's April 19, 2012 presentation was entitled "Aging and Drugs" in which she focussed on a variety of topics including geriatric prevalence statistics, the age/gender gap, impediments to safe use of medications in the elderly, inappropriate prescribing, medication non-adherence, the role of the pharmacist and related topics. Dr. Hamdy was joined by speakers from DHS, Hamad Medical Corporation, the Qatar Institution for Elderly Persons' Care, Supreme Council for Health and elsewhere. The program was sponsored by the Qatar National Food Security Program and was attended by registrants with a common interest in optimizing health in the geriatric patient.

For a copy of the presentation slides, visit the Presentations webpage.   

The College of Pharmacy hosted a student and faculty information session on April 19, 2012 to provide MSc program updates and answer questions to interested students and faculty in preparation for second application cycle for the novel program. Dean Jewesson and Dr. Mohamad Ibrahim hosted the event, with contributions from Drs. Sherief Khalifa, Ashraf Khalil, Fatima Mraiche, Shankar Munusamy, Dalia Hamdy and Husam Younes. Iman Abdel Aziz, the first MSc student accepted by the college also contributed to the event by describing her positive experiences in the program over the past 6 months.

The MSc program in the college is the first graduate degree program in a health science field in the country and has been in operation since September 2011. The graduate program now accepts applications from both BSc (Pharm) graduates and BSc graduates from other science programs including chemistry, biology, biomedical sciences, human nutrition, chemical engineering or related field. The program is designed to provide an opportunity for students to advance their knowledge, skills and attitudes in specific areas of interest within the pharmaceutical sciences. The program also prepares students for research, teaching and specialty positions requiring personnel with a strong background in these speciality areas. As the program only accepts a small number of students, the faculty:student ratio is exceptional and students will be well prepared with the research skills needed to carry out quality basic and applied studies to support the health-related research plans for this country. Graduate students specialize in one of the pharmaceutical sciences research focus areas including pharmacognosy, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmaceutics. The scope of the degree will include any aspect of the discovery, development, analysis and use of medicines to improve health care and related outcomes.

This year the program will accept up to 7 graduate students into the program. Five PhD-trained pharmaceutical sciences faculty are prepared to act as research supervisors for these incoming students, and collaboration with off campus site partners including Qatar Pharma and the Anti-Doping Laboratory – Qatar is being sought. Scholarships are available and students are also eligible to work as Graduate Teaching Interns during their tenure in the program.

Interested applicants are encouraged to go to the college website or contact the college for further information. To view the presentation slides and/or video capture of the event, go to the following link.

The College of Pharmacy was pleased to host Rawda Bint Jassim high school students on the Qatar University campus on March 29, 2012 to promote a career in health care. Academic Advisor Ms. Ghada Al Kuwari delivered a presentation on “Top 10 Reasons To Be A Pharmacist” and provided information about the college, the teaching and learning facilities and admission requirements. The female students were introduced to the college “smart classrooms”, online course management software, lecture capture and the importance of technology in the delivery of pharmacy and health care. Ms. Rifqah Al-Ward, a recent graduate of the college also gave a presentation to the students about the unique community and hospital professional skills laboratories that the college uses to simulate the practice environment in order to better prepare the students for clinical responsibilities as a member of the interprofessional health care team. Two senior BSc (Pharm) students Raja Barazi and Arwa Hammuda also were on hand to answer student questions and to talk about their experience as a pharmacy student in the college.

While on campus, the students also visited the Department of Health Sciences to learn about the Biomedical Science and Human Nutrition programs offered at Qatar University.

College of Pharmacy (CPH) participated in the second annual College of North Atlantic – Qatar(CNA-Q) Clinical Skills Competition on March 28, 2012. In the spirit of collaboration and through the efforts of the Qatar Interprofessional Health Care Council, six teams of students from CNA-Q, Weill Cornell Medical College, University of Calgary – Qatar and Qatar University participated in the competition. Each team consisted of students from nine different programs at these institutions including respiratory therapy, environmental health, pharmacy technician, medical radiography, dental assistance, emergency medical services, nursing, medicine and pharmacy.

During the competition, students were presented with different clinical scenarios that were developed by the coordinators. The students were assessed individually and on their ability to work as a team to resolve a variety of clinical problems that they could expect to encounter in the health care setting. Six senior students from CPH participating in the competition this year including Reem Nakeeb, Muna Ismail, Ayat Hammad, Raja Barazi, Amna Fadul, and Amina Benilles. These students were assessed in terms of medication counseling and communication skills pertaining to oral anticoagulation therapy for deep vein thrombosis and the use of bronchodilator inhalers for asthmatic patients. Drs. Maguy El Hajj and Ahmed Awaisu contributed to the event by working with the CNA-Q organizing team, providing two of the clinical scenarios and assessment rubrics that were used during the competition, and acting as judges. Miss Rifqa Al Ward (QU CPH BSc graduate and now working in the college professional skills laboratories) contributed to the competition as a simulated patient. All CPH students did well in the clinical skills competition, Muna Ismail was ranked the top pharmacy student participant and Ayat Hammad's team was ranked the best team.

Interprofessional education is recognized by the World Health Organization as an initiative that can lead to improved collaborative health care and ultimately better patient outcomes in the community and hospital settings. In recognition of this, the health care degree programs in this country are working together for the benefit of the citizens of this country and to ensure we meet the goals of the Qatar National Health Strategy. (Al Jazeera TV video)

The college had yet another successful showing at the annual Dubai International Pharmaceuticals and Technologies Conference and Exhibition (DUPHAT; http://www.duphat.ae/) event this year. This 3-day scientific conference and exhibition is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and attracts more than 10,000 participants from around the world including pharmacists, physicians, scientists, pharmaceutical manufacturers and academia.

This year the college was represented by Drs. Sherief Khalifa, Mohamad Ibrahim, Emily Black and Nadir Kheir. Also in attendance was Ms. Tammy King and four BSc (Pharm) students, Ghadeer Daghash, Sahar Selmi, Eman Remoden and Muna Al-Ismail.

Ms. King coordinated another well-received college exhibit and informational booth at the conference to promote our programs, the university and the country of Qatar. Student recruitment for the new MSc (Pharm) program this year was a primary focus, and the college fielded many questions from interested attendees from the region. The new MSc (Pharm) program is now accepting applications from non-pharmacy BSc holders and this will further increase the interest of this program to exceptional students from other science programs within and external to Qatar.

This year college faculty members and students presented nine research posters and delivered two research podium presentations. The college was also the recipient of two research awards including 4th Place (of 26 presentations) in the Student Oral Presentation competition (Eman Mohamed Remoden under the supervision of Dr.Sherief Khalifa) achieved ) and 7th Best (of 129 research posters) in the Thematic Pharmacy Student Poster (Ghadeer Daghash and Sahar Selmi under the supervison of Dr.Kerry Wilbur).

Our congratulations to the college faculty and students for another strong representation at this important scientific event this year. Well done!

For further information, go to the following links to view the posters and presentations. (photo gallery)

Qatar Pharmacy Undergraduate Society (QPhUS) recently held its 4th Annual Potluck event. "Potluck" refers to a meal at which each guest brings food that is then shared by all. Over 60 students, staff and faculty attended and brought dishes from their countries of origin. The college has a very diverse population and over 25 countries were represented this year.

The college is pleased to announce that Dr. Kerry Wilbur has successfully completed the requirements for a MSc in Public Health degree from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine's Distance Learning Programme which operates in collaboration with the University of London International Programmes. The 15 module, 180-credit program involved courses in epidemiology, health economics, financial management, principles of social research, analytical models for decision making, managing health policy, health promotion and statistics. All examinations were delivered at the British Council facilities in Doha. Dr. Wilbur completed the program over a 3-year period, and was also awarded a postgraduate diploma in public health part way through the program. Approximately 800 students worldwide are enrolled in this distance learning program while another 130 are actually located in London.

"Public health" refers what we do as a society to assure conditions that promote the good health of our citizens. The profession of pharmacy can play a major role in public health. Under the National Health Strategy, one public health initiative is to initiate an interprofessional practice model of chronic disease management to ensure continuity of care across all sectors of the health care system. Community pharmacists are a critical component of this interprofessional chronic disease management team and our college is working hard towards increasing the role of pharmacists in Qatar. This is being undertaken though the preparation of our students and professional development of existing pharmacists to better promote health improvement, wellness, and disease prevention in cooperation with patients, communities and the balance of the interprofessional health care provider team.

Our congratulations to Dr. Wilbur on being the first college faculty member to complete an additional degree while maintaing a full academic load. In addition to her responsibilities as a professor in the clinical pharmacy and practice section, Dr. Wilbur is the Director of the newly launched Doctor of Pharmacy program.

For more information about the MSc program, go to www.lshtm.ac.uk/php/. For more information about the Qatar University visit our Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

The college participated in a joint presentation on the new HMC Academic Health System Initiative on February 22, 2012. This initiative will strengthen the relationship between the university and our partners at HMC, WCMC-Q, UC-Q, CNA-Q and Sidra. Details of the partnership were outlined by presenters QU College of Pharmacy Dean Prof Peter Jewesson, HMC Managing Director Dr Hanan Al-Kuwari, HMC Chief of Medical, Academic and Research Affairs Prof Edward Hillhouse, and College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Associate Dean for Research Dr Mohamed Ahmedna. For further information, refer to the QU Campus Life article.

Five College of Pharmacy faculty members recently received research rewards under the Qatar University Research Award Program. The program aims at honoring the efforts of outstanding QU researchers who have published peer-reviewed research papers with journal impact factors above 1.0 . This innovative program aims to increase research productivity and the University's academic rank. The college members who received research rewards were Drs. Husam Younes, Kerry Wilbur, Maguy El Hajj, Dalia Hamdy, and Daoud Al Badriyeh. The research papers can be found by clicking on the member names. More information about the research reward program can be found here.

Qatar National Research Fund Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) announced the results of its 11th grant cycle in February 2012. The College of Pharmacy received seven research grants and these were awarded to Drs. Maguy El Hajj , Ahmed Nadir Kheir, Fatima Mraiche, Ahmed Awaisu, Daoud Al-Badriyeh, Emily Black and Husam Younes. The projects focus on topics that are in alignment with the National Health Strategy and include cardiovascular disease causes and prevention, clinical pharmacist practices, generic medicines, optimizing pharmaceutical delivery and antibiotic stewardship. The college achieved a 70% application success rate for this cycle and this was the highest number of awards ever received. For more information about UREP, go here.

During the 2010 academic year, the college hosted Dr. Sara Al Dahir, its first USA Fulbright Scholar. Dr. Al Dahir had a full experience and made many positive teaching and research contributions during her time with the college. As described by Dr. Al Dahir, the experience was advantageous to both the award recipient and the hosting institution. Under the Fulbright Scholar or related programs, the college offers a unique opportunity for any qualified academic who can make a meaningful contribution to our program. Dr. Al Dahir is now a member of the college's "extended family", as we thoroughly enjoyed our time together and we wish her well in her professional and personal pursuits.

Dr. Al Dahir's letter to the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education describing her experience can be viewed here.  

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Rifqa Al Ward, BSc in Pharmacy from Qatar University College of Pharmacy, has accepted to join our college as a part time Professional Skills Laboratory Technician to support the professional skills labs and SPEP rotations.

Rifqa received her Bachelor in pharmacy degree in 2011. During undergraduate years, Rifqa had the opportunity to have six months of training as a pharmacist in different pharmacy settings (as part of her SPEP rotations). Those included hospital, primary health clinics, and community settings. Additionally, she conducted two undergraduate research projects. The first one was about “Assessing community pharmacy characteristics in Qatar” and the second one was about “Palladium catalyzed synthesis of arylpiperazines using microwave irradiation”. Rifqa was in the College of Pharmacy QPhUS executive team for four years, as a class representative.

We are very happy to have Rifqa coming back to our college as a staff member, and we are sure that she will have a very important role in the success of the college.

Welcome on board, Ms. Rifqa!

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Taqdess Mahroof, Bachelor in Science, has accepted a formal offer to join the College of Pharmacy as a Laboratory Technician to support the MSc program.

Taqdees received a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Biotechnology and minor in Chemistry from Saint Cloud State University (SCSU), MN, USA in 2009. During her studies, Taqdess had the opportunity to conduct a research about anti-cancer activity of Ruthenium metal complexes with DNA. After graduation, she worked at Marshfield Food Safety LLC as a Laboratory Analyst.

We are very happy to have Taqdees joining us and we are sure that she will have a very important role in the success of the MSc program and ultimately the college.

Welcome on board, Ms. Taqdees!

Six members of the college contributed to the third annual Qatar University Office of Faculty Instructional Development "OFID Days 3" event during February 13-15, 2012. Drs. Daoud Al Badriyeh, Fatima Mraiche, Nadir Kheir, Sherief Khalifa, Dalia Hamdy and Husam Younes delivered six successful presentations and facilitated workshops to fellow faculty during the 3-day event.

The college delivers an internationally-accredited curriculum that employs many innovative instructional methods aimed at improving learning outcomes. The faculty members were pleased to share some of their experiences with colleagues, and in turn learn from the experiences of others. The college has been an active participant of OFID Days since its inception in 2010, and we congratulate Dr. Dalal Moukarzel, Director, QU OFID on the organization of this important event.

To view the presentation slides of the faculty members, visit the Presentation webpage.

Five members of the college contributed to the first Qatar University Office of Faculty Instructional Development Edutech event on January 24, 2012. Drs. Dalia Hamdy, Maguy El Hajj, Nadir Kheir and Ms. Reem Al Mannai and Shaima Al Gharaibeh delivered three workshop presentations to fellow university faculty during the event.

The college delivers an internationally-accredited curriculum that employs the use of several technologies to enhance the educational experience and learning outcomes. The faculty members were pleased to share some of their experiences with our colleagues, and in turn learn from others. The college has been an active participant of OFID events since its inception, and we congratulate Dr. Dalal Moukarzel, Director, QU OFID on the organization of this new initiative.

To view the presentation slides of the faculty members, visit the Presentation webpage.

Dr. Fatima Mraiche, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology in the College of Pharmacy attended the recent Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) Medical Research Center Annual Research Day 2012 that was held on January 17, 2012 at the HMC Club and Hotel. Dr. Mraiche delivered a presentation entitled "Elevated Myocardial NA+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 induces cardiac hypertrophy and the Up-regulation of Osteopontin Gene Expression to a group of approximately 40 registrants. This presentation focused on research that Dr. Mraiche is undertaking to better understand the cellular mechanisms that lead to heart failure. 

Heart failure is one of the chronic diseases targeted by the 2011-2016 National Health Strategy. The strategy document specifically refers to the establishment of a proactive, interprofessional practice model of chronic disease management for heart failure and other chronic diseases and cites best practice examples from Alberta, Canada. Dr. Mraiche was a PhD student at the University of Alberta, Canada before arriving in Qatar in 2010 to join the college and continue her cardiac research in this country. Her research efforts will serve to help build Qatar's research capacity and the college's contributions towards better understanding and managing this devastating disease.

Dr. Mraiche also received a Blue Ribbon Award from symposium organizers for the best oral presentation at this event. Well done, Dr. Mraiche!

For a copy of the presentation slides, visit the Presentations webpage. 

The college hosted a short visit of over 23 Young Professional Institute (YPI) students from the University of Maryland and Colorado State University (USA) and local coordinators from Qatar Foundation on January 5, 2012. The college tour involved a visit to the pharmaceutics research labs of Dr. Husam Younes and his postdoc Dr. Mohammad Shaker. As arranged by college representative Tammy King, the students also met with Dean Peter Jewesson who provided them with a short overview of how the college was formed, its programs and links to education and practice in the USA and Canada, and about life in Qatar as a Canadian expat.

For additional information about the YPI, visit the Qatar Foundation website.
 

We are pleased to announce that Mr. Kyle Wilby, Pharm D candidate (June 2012) has accepted a formal offer to join the college as an Assistant Professor with a clinical cross-appointment to one of our institutional health care providers. This is the third of six such cross-appointments that we will be recruiting over the next year.

Kyle Wilby received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in 2008. He then completed a hospital pharmacy residency at Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 2009. Kyle will complete his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada with an expected graduation date of May 2012.

Kyle has experience in both hospital and community pharmacy settings and is actively practicing as a Clinical Pharmacist at Lion’s Gate Hospital in North Vancouver. He has extensive international experience working in Accra, Ghana for BaseCamp International Centers and has most recently completed internships in both Uganda and Qatar. He also acts as a clinical instructor for international health clerkships in Ghana for Canadian undergraduate pharmacy students.

Kyle has numerous peer-reviewed publications in the areas of infectious diseases, tropical medicine, critical care, clinical pharmacokinetics, and medication adherence. His primary clinical and research interests include pediatrics, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, and international health. He has delivered 14 invited podium presentations, received numerous student and research awards, and is an active member of many national and international professional organizations.

These clinical cross-appointment professors will play a vital role in the training of our BSc and PharmD students, as well as contributing to the advancement of pharmacy practice in this country. We are pleased that he has elected to join us in this exciting new portfolio.

Welcome on board, Mr. Wilby. We look forward to having you join the team!