(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), a Qatar Foundation Research and Development (QF R&D) entity and Harvard Medical School (HMS) have signed an agreement to establish the Harvard Medical School Cancer Biology and Therapeutics training programme (HMS-CBT).
It is expected that the programme will be launched in the fall of 2015, with the first residential workshop in Doha.
The agreement is part of an effort to support specialised training that promotes a deeper understanding of cancer biology, cancer screening, diagnosis and personalised treatments. The programme does not involve clinical care.
As a key research and development entity, QBRI contributes to the mission of Qatar Foundation to build Qatar's innovation and technology capacity by improving and transforming healthcare through scientific research in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
QBRI and HMS will contribute to the development and implementation of the course through joint admission and curriculum development committees. QBRI will offer a limited number of full and partial scholarships to qualified participants from Qatar, the GCC and Mena region. There will also be a joint effort to promote the course in Qatar, the GCC and Mena regions.
HMS-CBT is a one-year, non-clinical blended-learning certificate programme designed to provide participants with the key skills and knowledge in cancer biology to effectively treat cancer patients. The programme will develop expertise through an understanding of the molecular and cellular events that result in tumour formation, progression, and metastasis. It will also cover important topics related to screening, detection and diagnosis, as well as electives in clinical cancer genetics, pathology and drug development.
The course will be anchored by three separate residential workshops that
will take place at the beginning, mid-point and end of the programme, in
Doha, London and Boston, respectively. The programme will also feature 15 interactive live webinars with world experts in cancer and 45 pre-recorded lectures.
At the conclusion of this specialised training programme, participants will have a basic understanding of the scientific underpinnings of cancer biology and will have acquired core knowledge in pharmacology, drug development pertaining to cancer. In addition, participants will have gained expertise in the general management of cancer therapeutics with a focus on both the principles and targeted therapies for specific cancers.
"The HMS-CBT programme will provide specialised education and training in cancer research and treatment, and will also help build capacity in the region's research and healthcare community," said Dr Hilal Lashuel, QBRI executive director. "It will provide a unique opportunity for both clinicians and scientists to gain training and up-to-date understanding of the latest advances in cancer biology and therapies, contributing to Qatar's efforts to implement and pioneer personalised healthcare in the region," Dr Lashuel added.
"This collaborative initiative will benefit both QBRI and HMS through the exchange of ideas and will develop a regional and global network of future leaders in cancer research and treatment," said Ajay Singh, associate dean for Global Education at HMS.
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