CMU-Q students present research at Sidra precision medicine symposium
Three biological sciences students at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) presented their summer research at Sidra Medicine’s Young Scientists Symposium. The symposium was part of the annual Precision Medicine and Functional Genomics (PMFG) conference. CMU-Q is a Qatar Foundation partner university.
All three students conducted their research as part of CMU-Q’s Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship. Aziza Abugaliyeva, Nada Alnajar, and Mariam Elmeragawi used computational biology to identify biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease, respectively. All three abstracts were accepted for the symposium.
Aziza Abugaliyeva’s identified Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers during her research project.
“I am exceptionally proud of the work these students produced in a short period of time,” said Ihab Younis, area head for biological sciences at CMU-Q and the faculty adviser for the students. “They are all promising young researchers, and I am pleased they could share their work with the wider scientific community.”
Nada Alnajar found biomarkers for Type 2 Diabetes.
The students conducted their research under the guidance of Saad Rasool. Rasool graduated from CMU-Q in 2018, and now works as an educational support specialist at CMU-Q. He constructed the SURA course this summer to introduce students to the stages of the experimental process.
Mariam Elmeragawi found biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease.
“The research cycle begins with experiment design, and finishes with science communication in the form of a presentation or paper,” said Rasool. “I think it is so valuable for students to experience the full cycle, so they will know what to expect if they pursue careers in research, medicine or academia.”
The students were among the only undergraduates to present at the symposium. “Most abstracts were from graduate students and postdocs from Qatar and abroad,” said Rasool. “It was a great opportunity to network with other researchers and learn about their work.”
CMU-Q encourages students to participate in research during their undergraduate education. The SURA program is one of several opportunities available for students in all majors to gain experience in research.