Educational Webinar Series
Qatar Biobank Showcase
March 1-9, 2023
About the Webinar Series
This short webinar series was presented by a team from Qatar Biobank, exploring the journey of Qatar Biobank from conception until today as they celebrate their 10-year anniversary. Each session explored a key area of biobanking, from designing a collection study to the IT infrastructure to sharing data and services and connecting with the local community. Presenters shared their challenges, successes, and lessons learned in their journey to develop the largest population biobank in the Middle East region.
The Qatar Biobank Showcase had 5 webinars, with each webinar being a standalone topic and with both a single module, as well as a livestreamed version with a Q&A section. Details are listed below:
- Webinar 1: Biobanking in Brief: Design your Collection Strategy –1 March 2023
MODULE PART 1, MODULE PART 2, LIVESTREAM w/ Q&A - Webinar 2: Lab design (part 1: Establishing a Biobank Laboratory: Planning and Implementation, part 2: Quality Standards in Biobanking: Fundamentals for a Successful Biobank Laboratory) – 2 March 2023
MODULE PART 1, MODULE PART 2, LIVESTREAM w/ Q&A - Webinar 3: Communication and Participant Recruitment Immersion: A journey to 40k participants – 7 March 2023
MODULE, LIVESTREAM w/ Q&A - Webinar 4: How to Build IT for Biobanks – 8 March 2023
MODULE w/ Q&A - Webinar 5: Biobanking Services – 9 March 2023
MODULE, LIVESTREAM w/ Q&A
Thank you to our organizers, presenters, and participants for a successful webinar series!
Webinar registrants represented
29 countries
| Country | Number of Registrants |
|---|---|
| Algeria | 3 |
| American Samoa | 1 |
| Australia | 1 |
| Canada | 1 |
| Chile | 1 |
| China | 1 |
| Cyprus | 1 |
| Egypt | 9 |
| Finland | 1 |
| India | 5 |
| Iran | 1 |
| Jordan | 2 |
| Kuwait | 1 |
| Malaysia | 1 |
| Morocco | 1 |
| Oman | 1 |
| Philippines | 1 |
| Qatar | 182 |
| Saudi Arabia | 8 |
| Singapore | 4 |
| South Africa | 1 |
| South Korea | 3 |
| Sudan | 1 |
| Syria | 1 |
| Turkey | 3 |
| Ukraine | 1 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 |
| United States (US) | 6 |
Of the participants who provided evaluations for the webinar series:
93% said the webinars they attended enhanced their knowledge of the subject matter
94% would reccommed the webinars they attended to others
94% found the webinars they attended to be an overall enriching experience
Based on the positive feedback, we look forward to providing similar webinars in the future.
Webinar Descriptions
Session Objectives
Upon completion of these sessions, participants will be able to:
- Design a collection strategy
- Identify key stakeholders and resources
- Design an operational resilience plan
- Identify challenges and opportunities
Target Audiences
- New and existing Biobankers
- Biobanking industry professionals
- Researchers
Part 1: Establishing a Biobank Laboratory: Planning and Implementation
Part 2: Quality Standards in Biobanking: Fundamentals for a Successful Biobank laboratory
Session Objectives
Upon completion of these sessions, participants will be able to:
- List the key requirements for establishing an operational laboratory
- Discuss the laboratory scope covering preanalytical, analytical and
post analytical requirements needed for functional routine operations - Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of manual vs. automation sample storage management
- List the benefits of accreditations and quality standards in laboratory management
Target Audiences
- Biobankers
- Laboratory managers
- Biobanking industry professionals
Session Objectives
Upon completion of these sessions, participants will be able to:
- List potential recruitment strategies
- Identify recruitment and engagement tools appropriate to the study
- Discuss recruitment and community engagement strategies
Target Audiences
- Biobankers
- Managers
- Communicators
Session 1 – Fundamental IT Components for Biobanks (Session 1 Focus: IT Foundation for Biobanks)
Session 2 – Core Biobank Systems (Session 2 Focus: Demonstration of QBB Core Systems)
Session Objectives
Upon completion of these sessions, participants will be able to:
- Establish IT strategy for biobank (Infrastructure, Solutions, and Staffing)
- Determine core applications for the biobank
- Determine the main functionalities of the core applications
Target Audiences
- Biobank general managers
- Biobank IT managers
- Biobank solution architects
Session Objectives
Upon completion of these sessions, participants will be able to:
- Understand the licenses required to create a Biobank facility and the licenses required for the staff
- Understand the ethical and scientific approvals required for research projects
- Discuss the process for accessing data, samples, or services
Target Audiences
- Biobankers
- Biobank managers
- Biobank industry professionals
Qatar Biobank Team
Ameena AlEmadi
IT Manager | B.S.C | MBA
Ameena is an IT Manager working in QBB, where she is managing IT department from infrastructure up to data management. She manages and collaborates with a team of 13 people to ensure IT services availability, data security, and providing systems that support business requirements and strategic goals.
She has accomplished several things in her career, including Launch Data Warehouse, and in house development of Laboratory Management System for QBB. She had positive contribution in the successful implementation of national wide projects in the state of Qatar as part of e-Government strategy of the country for almost 8 years. She has published paper “Grounded theory Analysis of Successful Implementation of e-Government Projects”.
She is strong believer in IT significant role in driving organizational changes and adding value to achieve efficient performance.
Monika Markovic Bordoski
Senior Laboratory Technologist and Quality Officer
Monika Markovic Bordoski is a senior laboratory technologist and quality officer in Qatar Biobank. Monika received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Faculty of Sciences University of Novi Sad, Serbia in Molecular Biology. Her 12 year experience in laboratory science including protocols development, methods establishment, and protocols validation in accordance with quality requirements, international standards, and accreditations. Her background in molecular biology brings together skills which are contributing to the development of stringent quality programs with significant impact in establishing laboratory protocols and ensuring their validity, including the establishment of routine tests and workflow process validations followed by implementation and monitoring of established procedures in clinical and research practice.
Mahfoudh Boumaraf
Participants Outreach Specialist
Mahfoudh Boumaraf is a highly experienced Participants Outreach Specialist at Qatar Biobank. He joined the organization in 2018 and has since been making a significant impact on the biobanking community through his knowledge and dedication. With a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in event management, he brings a unique combination of skills to his role. Prior to joining Qatar Biobank, Mahfoudh worked as a communication and event officer at the 2022 FIFA World Cup organizing committee, where he honed his expertise in outreach and event management. In his current role, he leverages his education and experience to engage the public and raise awareness about the importance of participating in biobanking studies. With his passion for improving healthcare and his commitment to making a difference, Mahfoudh is a valuable asset to the team at Qatar Biobank.
Sneha Priya Chandran
Data Warehouse Developer | B.Tech
Sneha Priya Chandran has over 18 years of professional experience in Information Technology sector; in Healthcare, Research, Digital Media, and Management Consulting domains. She currently works as Data Warehouse Developer in Qatar Biobank and has joined the Biobank in 2018. She has accomplished several things in her career, the latest and most significant achievement was Qatar Biobank Data Warehouse, where the solution aggregates data from wide range of sources including structured and unstructured data and developed business rules in collaboration with researchers and scientists. Sneha is devoted to ensuring data quality and improve the process of data management.
Prior to joining Qatar Biobank, Sneha worked at Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) where she played a key role in the implementation of federal research grant management systems of Qatar and had implemented Business Intelligence KPI Dashboards for Qatar Foundation Research and Development. She had started her career with McKinsey & Company in India. Sneha holds a Honors Bachelor of Engineering degree (B.Tech) from University of Calicut. She is ITIL certified and is an IBM Certified Associate Developer. Sneha is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) and a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP).
Rafik Ak Fukaha
Senior Participants Service Representative
Rafik Ak Fukaha is a seasoned and dedicated Senior Participants Service Representative at Qatar Biobank. He joined the organization in 2014 as a Participants Service Representative and was promoted to his current role in 2019, testament to his exceptional performance and commitment. Holding a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications, he brings a wealth of experience and technical know-how to his role. Prior to joining Qatar Biobank, Rafik worked as a Participants Service Representative at the British Council, where he honed his skills in customer service and support. In his current role, he is responsible for ensuring that participants have a positive experience when participating in biobanking studies. With his exceptional communication skills and technical expertise, Rafik is a valuable member of the Qatar Biobank team and plays a key role in the organization’s success.
Noor Hamade
Lab Technologist
Noor Hamade graduated from Gulf Medical University in 2018 with a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences. As part of her final graduation internship, she experienced working in a variety of labs including chemistry, microbiology, pathology, hematology, histopathology, and molecular biology in both clinical and research settings.
In 2017, she attended an internship as a trainee in the Medical Commissions lab, Qatar, where she experienced laboratory work for the first time and had the opportunity of hands-on experience in tasks such as phlebotomy and sample processing for HIV, HBV, HCV and Tuberculosis.
During the height of COVID-19 in 2020 in Qatar, Noor volunteered at the Communicable Disease Center as a volunteer lab technologist where she aided in processing COVID-19 nasopharyngeal swab samples by RNA extraction methods.
Later, in 2022, she had an opportunity to attend the MediEuro Network Workshop – Biobanking and Biomedical Research in Cyprus, as she shared her knowledge and experience working in a biobank and learned about biobanking in different countries and their different approaches in achieving and establishing a biobank.
As of 2018 and to date, Noor is a laboratory technologist at Qatar Biobank, Qatar Foundation, where she performs processing and storage of different biological sample types, DNA extraction and quantification and running the automated biostore for sample storage. Qatar Biobank lab has achieved College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation in 2020 and ISO 20387:2018 accreditation in 2022 which Noor was part of the team that worked on achieving these milestones.
Elizabeth Jose
Regulatory & Accreditation Coordinator
Elizabeth Jose is the Regulatory & Accreditation Coordinator at Qatar Biobank. She has been associated with Qatar Biobank since 2015 and has contributed to its endeavor of establishing the Research Access Office by forming and articulating the processes and supporting the development/ implementation of the online Research Portal for Biospecimen and data sharing at Qatar Biobank.
Elizabeth also supports the Qatar Biobank Institutional Review Board as the coordinator (QBB IRB) in the ethical approvals of the research projects submitted by the researchers and ensures regular operational coordination for the delivery of data/ biological samples with the QBB team to the scientific research community, enabling research. She is entrusted with the role of Risk Champion at QBB enabling the Risk Management process and also supports in ISO Audit as the ISO Internal Auditor for QBB.
Elizabeth has worked with the Business Process Improvement/ Operational Excellence Directorate at Qatar Foundation for review and approval of processes and implementation of improvement projects liaising with four major project management consultants such as KPMG, Delloite, E &Y and PWC.
She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce (BCom Honors) from Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad University, MSU India.
She has a professional experience of 20 years and contributed with her expertise and skills in the roles of Research Administration, Project Management, Social Work, Counselling & Human Resource Management, with vast exposure in various industrial sectors including Health Care, Information Technology, Oil & Gas organizations in the Middle East & India.
Samir Kazi
Database Specialist | M.Sc. (Computer Science)
Samir has 13+ years of experience in Healthcare IT in Hospital, Clinical and Research domain. He currently works as Database Specialist at Qatar Biobank, where he has accomplished several things in his career the latest and most significant achievement was design and implementation of QBB Database High Availability where the solution provides 99.99% system availability with zero data loss, Enhancement in Data Security by implementing RBAC (Role Based Access Control) & Single Sign-on. He is devoted ensuring QBB data security, administering and managing QBB databases and improve the performance of databases.
Eiman Al Khayat
Clinic and Lab Manager
Eiman Al Khayat is performing the Clinic and Lab Manager role at Qatar Biobank, Qatar Foundation. She took her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences in Qatar University, Doha from 2001-2005 and achieved a Master of Business Administration ( MBA) in 2022 from Aberdeen University, U.K.
Ms. Al Khayat leads a team of 16 laboratory technologists performing saliva, urine, and blood processing, aliquoting, high complexity testing to test the integrity of the samples, DNA and RNA extraction from blood samples, and freezing samples for long-term research storage.
She supervises all activities in the lab which includes not only sample testing but also equipment maintenance, risk management and the development of strategic plans and quality management plans. She ensures that quality assurance and quality control is performed in the laboratory in accordance to the requirement of customers, organization, College of American Pathologists (CAP) and ISO 9001:2015, 27001:2013 and ISO 20387: 2018.
As Quality Manager of Qatar Biobank, Ms. Al Khayat successfully led the planning and implementation of the ISO 20387:2018 accreditation of the organization. This was achieved in December 2022. Qatar Biobank is also re-accredited by CAP last April 2022.
Wilma Maria Lobo
Business Support Specialist
Wilma Lobo is the Business Support Specialist at Qatar Biobank. She has been working at Qatar Biobank since 2013 and had joined as Clinic and Lab Coordinator. Wilma played a key role in creating several procedures and establishing workflows in Qatar Biobank to develop Quality Management. She led the role of ISO coordinator and worked closely with ISO certifying company to close gaps and achieved ISO 9001:2008 and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 in June 2014. For the quality management aspect, Wilma was the document and records controller. She is also an internal auditor and is a team member for the Action Request Committee that oversees the non-conforming products and services for QBB. Wilma also is the Business Continuity Plan Champion and has recently been part of QF’s Crisis Management Team.
Her other roles include Procurement and Finance activities. She manages the procurement of Clinical, Laboratory, Facility, Communications, and IT equipment and its maintenance through several tendering processes and strategies. She has managed the procurement activities of complex equipment such as MRI, Brooks Biostore, and Liquid Nitrogen tanks. She supports QBB’s financial activities in planning operations and capital budget and other related transactions
Wilma is also the Facility Management focal point. She is well versed with laws and regulations laid by the Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Ministry of Interior, and Qatar Civil Defense. She has established and maintained these licenses upkeeping the renewal standards annually. To comply with the standard requirements, Wilma has developed various health and safety procedures/records and risk assessments to ensure the safeguarding QBBs staff and visitors
Wilma holds a Master of Science Degree in International Business Management from the University of Aberdeen and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computing and Information Systems. Wilma worked in Hamad Medical Corporation in the Department of Medicine and Pathology for 11 years and was involved in establishing Joint Commission International (JCI) and College of American Pathologists (CAP) standards.
Fahad F. Mahal
Clinical Information Systems Specialist
Fahad Faj Mahal has over 20 years of professional experience in Healthcare IT; in both Research and Clinical settings. He currently works as Clinical Information Systems Specialist at Qatar Biobank, where he has been instrumental in implementing various research data collection and management systems, including LIMS, CIS, PACS, CANTAB Cognitive, and various clinical device software. Prior to joining Qatar Biobank, Fahad worked at the Ministry of Health in Oman where he played a key role in the rollout of Electronic Medical Records Systems across the country. Fahad holds a Master’s in Software Systems and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and is certified as a CPHIMS and PRINCE2 Practitioner.
About Qatar Biobank & IHCC
Qatar Biobank, a member of Qatar Foundation, was established in collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation and the Ministry of Public Health to facilitate medical research, conducted by local researchers and scientists, on prevalent health issues in Qatar. Through its collection of samples and information on health and lifestyle from large numbers of members of the population of Qatar, Qatar Biobank encourages vital health research that aims to develop precision medicine and enhance health care in Qatar.
Qatar Biobank is a member cohort of the International Health Cohorts Consortium – an organization that brings large cohorts together to encourage data sharing, improve efficiencies and maximize benefits in addressing scientific questions none could answer alone. IHCC currently consists of over 70 cohorts, totaling more than 50 million total participants, representing over 40 countries and regions. Through collaboration and data sharing, IHCC is revolutionizing health science by informing the biological and genetic basis for disease and improving clinical care and population health.
