Firsts have defined Dr. Aisha Yousuf’s journey. She was part of the first cohorts of new schools and pioneering academic programs in Qatar, and later became the first Qatari woman to perform a robotic hysterectomy. But for her, being first was never about gaining a title; it was never something she sought. It was just about new possibilities.

Much of that journey began within Qatar Foundation. Dr. Aisha joined the Academic Bridge Program, created to prepare young Qataris for admission into top universities, before becoming one of just 16 students in the inaugural class of Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar (WCM-Q) in 2002.