Qatar's latest TECHtalks focus on healthcare and community innovation

Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) recently hosted two of its acclaimed TECHtalk series, which focused on new information and communication technology, Smart Cities, and the growing impact of innovative genomics in personalized medicine -- all for the purpose of revamping the way Qatar's cities run.

QSTP’s TECHtalks series promotes innovation in key technology sectors and are sponsored by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. The focus is economic diversification and home-grown Qatari technologies.

Hilal Lashuel, executive director at Qatar Biomedical Research Institute and TECHtalk panelist, said the discussion series "provides unique opportunities for the exchange of ideas on latest advances in science and medicine and their impact on the quality of our daily life and the healthcare system in the country.”

Lashuel’s panel focused on the promise genomics holds in moving the healthcare industry forward.

“We explored how advances in genome sequencing and the increasing accessibility of genome-based services are paving the way today for more personalized approaches to wellness, prevention and treatments,” Lashuel said. “The ethical and legal challenges associated with the implementation of genomic-based services in Qatar and the region were also discussed and debated."

Along with that discussion was another entitled “Smart Cities: From Dream to Reality.” That talk focused on using new technologies to revolutionize how Qatar’s cities and communities operate in the future -- a key goal of TECHtalk series.