Officials and participants during the event held at Msheireb Museums.
Doha, Qatar: The wonders of life’s beginnings took centre stage at the third edition of the Science Cafe series, a collaborative effort between Msheireb Museums and Sidra Medicine.
Held on June 3 at Bin Jelmood House, the event titled “Life’s Beginnings: Insights into Pregnancy, Fertility, and Newborn Screening” delved into critical topics shaping the future of precision medicine in these areas.
The session brought together medical professionals, researchers, and the community for discussions. General Manager of Msheireb Museums, Abdulla Al Naama, highlighted to The Peninsula the increasing public interest in Science Cafe series, saying: “Today with the third edition, we can see people who are getting more and more engaged with the topics that we present.”
Chief Research Officer at Sidra Medicine, Dr. Khalid Fakhro, emphasised the importance of public engagement. “By raising awareness about the advancements in research and clinical care happening in Qatar, we not only foster a deeper connection with our community but also showcase our commitment to being at the forefront of medical innovation.”
The event also featured a lineup of expert speakers. Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Sidra Medicine, Dr. Khawla Ismail, shed light on the importance of pre-pregnancy care, often overlooked but crucial for a healthy pregnancy.
“This event is unique as we talked about pre-conception care, something as important as pregnancy care itself to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Pregnant women should make their pre-pregnancy check-up appointment with their obstetrician to highlight what they need to optimise before starting the pregnancy” Dr. Ismail explained.
Executive Chair of Women’s Services and Division Chief of Reproductive Medicine at Sidra Medicine, Prof. Johnny Awwad, focused on fertility issues and assisted reproductive technologies like IVF. “We’re here as two teams who cooperate and work together. The first team is the clinical, who shows the clinical work, followed by the research team, who says how we’re moving whatever we do to the next level. So we’re not only here as consumers of medicine, but we’re here as producers of innovation and new research”.
Noor Eldoss, an attendee and healthcare professional working at Hamad Medical Corporation’s genetic department, shared with The Peninsula her key takeaways from the third edition. “I learned how to improve women’s experiences during pregnancy and how I can contribute to that as a professional, and also how the technology of genomic testing can be developed in the future to serve the patients”, she said.
“We are proud of the success of our third Science Cafe event,” said Manager of Exhibitions and Programmes at Msheireb Museums, Fahad Al Turky. “Our partnership with Sidra Medicine has been instrumental in bringing these crucial topics to the forefront and engaging the community in meaningful discussions”, he concuded.
