Dr. Omar Albagha
Acting Executive Director of Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) and Professor of Genomic and Precision Medicine at the College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)
Dr. Omar Albagha is the acting executive director of Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) and a professor of genomic and precision medicine at the College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). His current research focuses on genomic medicine, aiming at understanding the genetic determinants of complex diseases with emphasis on type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
After completing his PhD degree in 2001, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher until 2002, when he was appointed as an assistant professor in genetics of bone disease at the Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK. In 2005, he moved to the University of Edinburgh as a principal investigator/group leader at the Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine (CGEM). In 2014, he was appointed the associate director of the Paget’s Association Centre of Excellence, Edinburgh.
In early 2017, Dr. Albagha joined Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) as a principal investigator at the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), and in 2019 he joined the College of Health and Life Sciences at HBKU.
Dr. Albagha has active collaborations with Qatar Genome to investigate genetics of disease-related traits in Qatar. He has published in high impact journals (Nature Genetics, JAMA, Cell Reports) and his work has been featured in news outlets such as the BBC and other international media.
Dr. Albagha has received many awards from international organizations, including the European Calcified Tissue Society (ECTS) and the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR). He has obtained multiple research grants totaling over US$ 10 million, including the highly prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator fellowship.
Dr. Omar Albagha received his PhD scholarship to investigate genetic susceptibility to osteoporosis at the University of Aberdeen.