Aimed to raise community awareness on research ethics
The Office of Research Planning and Development at QU Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies recently held the Animal Ethics Awareness Day in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health.
The event aimed to raise community awareness on research ethics and to highlight the role of QU Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) following the latest ethical international standards within an Islamic framework.
Attendees included QU VP for Research and Graduate Studies Prof Mariam Al-Maadeed, QU Director of Research Planning and Development Dr Aiman Erbad, QU Laboratory Animal Research Center (LARC) Founding Director Dr Hamda Al-Naemi, QU Manager of Research Excellence Dr Abdelbary Elhissi, and Ministry of Public Health Executive Manager Dr Iman Sadoun, as well as QU faculty, researchers and staff.
It drew the participation of experts and researchers from QU, the Anti-Doping Lab Qatar, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the Ministry of Public Health, and Sidra Medical and Research Center.
The event’s program featured lectures by Dr Hamda Al-Naemi, Associate Professor at QU College of Pharmacy (CPH) and IACUC Head Dr Husam Younes, CPH Associate Professor Dr Abdelali Agouni, Professor at QU College of Medicine Dr Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa, and Associate Professor at QU College of Health Sciences Dr Nasser Rizk. They discussed the implementation of ethical standards by QU.
Prof Mariam Al-Maadeed stressed the importance of ethical consideration when using animals. She pointed to the benefits of animals which are mentioned in the Holy Quran. She also noted that animals have many benefits for the society, especially in pharmacological experiments which contribute to the advancement of the society.
Dr Abdelbary Elhissi said: “The high level that QU reached with regard to paying attention to the ethics of dealing with experimental animals is a real indication of the level of civilization achieved by Qatar in recent years. The implementation of ethics in research is an integral part of research excellence.”