Dr. Mohammadreza Rezaee, PhD, is the Lab Manager at the Qatar Center for Quantum Computing (QC2), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar. In this role, he leads the establishment and operation of one of the region’s premier quantum research laboratories, focusing on advancing quantum optics, communication, and sensing technologies.

Dr. Rezaee earned his PhD in Physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2015, followed by postdoctoral positions at Texas A&M University and the University of Ottawa. At uOttawa, he was instrumental in establishing the Joint Centre for Extreme Photonics (JCEP), a landmark collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada. His research interests span quantum light sources, the application of vacancy centers in diamond for quantum sensing, and quantum simulation.

In addition to his academic achievements, Dr. Rezaee is a visionary entrepreneur, having founded three quantum hardware startups in Canada and the USA. He is an alumnus of the Creative Destruction Lab-QML program at the Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto (2018), and was selected for Y Combinator’s W19 cohort in California.

Driven by a passion for bridging the gap between cutting-edge quantum science and transformative commercial applications, Dr. Rezaee continues to play a key role in advancing the global quantum ecosystem through research, collaboration, and innovation.

Fatima Sadiqi is a professor of linguistics and gender studies. In 2000, she introduced the first postgraduate program on women’s and gender studies at the University of Fes, Morocco. The program focused on the MENA region and instigated similar initiatives in Morocco and the Maghreb. Sadiqi’s teaching experience has gone hand in hand with her research interests. Her international books include Women, Gender and Language (Brill, 2003), Women’s Activism and the Public Sphere: Local/Global Linkages (Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, 2006), Women and Knowledge in the Mediterranean (Routledge, 2013), Moroccan Feminist Discourses (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), Women’s Movements in the Post - “Arab Spring” North Africa (2016), and Islamic Feminisms (Indiana University Press, 2023). Sadiqi’s work has been supported by numerous prestigious awards and fellowships from Harvard University, The Woodrow Wilson Center, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Fulbright. She is currently a Visiting Professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University and is finalizing a book on Women and the Codification of the Amazigh Language to be published by Lexington Books.

Johanne Medina is a research associate at Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI). She holds a BSc. in Computer Engineering and an MSc. in Data Science and Engineering both from Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Aside from her interest in academic research, Johanne also provides expertise in full-stack web and app development, data management, and specialization in AI and Machine Learning. In her work in QCRI, her areas of focus include mobile learning in personalized education, social media analytics, and user personas, utilizing Large Language Models.

Sarra Mestiri holds a master's degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the Sorbonne University of Paris. With over 7 years of research and academic experience spanning Tunisia, France, and Qatar, she has demonstrated expertise in biochemistry and molecular biology. While conducting research in France, Sarra identified novel NF-κB inhibitors through high throughput screening, offering potential regulation for diseases like cancer, auto-immune conditions, and chronic inflammation. Her work also delved into the ATR-CHK1 signaling pathway's role in DNA replication dynamics during replicative stress.

Relocating to Qatar in 2019, Sarra joined the Translational Cancer Research Facility at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research/Hamad Medical Corporation as a Research Associate. Her focus included characterizing immune responses in cancer patients, identifying dynamic biomarkers of response, and generating antigen-specific T cells for cancer therapy. In 2024, she became a Senior Research Associate in Dr. Fares Al-Ejeh's team, dedicating her efforts to identifying clinically actionable potential biomarkers in Qatar's population for Cancer Precision Medicine. With a commitment to advancing cancer research, Sarra Mestiri brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her current role.

Mohammad Shahmeer Ahmad is a Research Assistant at QCRI. His work focusses on Data Centric AI, Data Wrangling, and Foundation Models such as LLMs. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a B.Sc. in Information Systems. Shahmeer’s experience includes developing systematic approaches to improve data quality and discoverability and creating tools leveraging these algorithms. He has contributed to various projects such as a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) system for tabular data for data wrangling and cleaning, a cross modality data discovery system for structured and unstructured data, and benchmarking the capabilities of LLMs in various data cleaning and querying tasks.

Born and raised in Argentina, Dr. Juan Manuel Murias completed his undergraduate degree in Physical Education and an MSc in Exercise Physiology in his hometown. After moving to Montreal, Canada in 2003, Juan Manuel completed a second MSc at McGill University, followed by a PhD in Integrative Physiology of Exercise (Western University, London, Canada) and Postdoctoral training focusing on vascular control at the same institution.

Following a 10-year appointment at the University of Calgary (Canada), in May 2023 Juan Manuel joined the College of Health and Life Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University as an Associate Professor. Juan Manuel’s research examines how adequate manipulation of the metabolic stress (i.e., intensity) of endurance exercise contributes to maximizing central (e.g., cardiac output, blood volume, conduit arteries) and peripheral (e.g., microcirculation, muscle metabolism) responses that affect cardiovascular components responsible for oxygen transport and distribution at rest and during exercise. Recent work also incorporates the evaluation of central and peripheral measures of neuromuscular fatigue. Although Juan Manuel’s work is applied to different groups ranging from clinical populations to trained individuals, his research has a special focus on how sex and age contribute to the characteristics of adaptations within the cardiovascular and neuromuscular systems.

Dr. Arafat earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Maryland in the United States. He subsequently worked there before joining the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences at Cairo University in Egypt. Additionally, he gained experience by working at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea, and both Qatar University and Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar.

Dr. Arafat's research encompasses various topics within comparative politics and international relations, including multiculturalism, state fragility, personality cult, political reform in monocratic regimes, peacebuilding in protracted social conflicts, and decentralized conflicts.

Dr. Eltabakh is a Principal Scientist at Qatar Computer Research Institute (QCRI). He received his Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from Purdue University in 2010. He was a faculty member in the Computer Science Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), MA, USA, between 2011 and 2022. He has extensive industry-related experience working at Google, Microsoft, IBM, and Teradata (in the USA) for more than 8 years combined.   Dr. Mohamed Eltabakh’s research expertise spans the broad areas of big data management, scalable data analytics, AI and large language models, and distributed systems. Dr. Eltabakh is leading the Fanar project, an Arabic-centric GenAI platform developed in Qatar. Dr. Eltabakh’s research is funded by several entities, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), USA, the Ministry of Transportation (MoT), Qatar, and the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Qatar. 

Hanad Hassan is a seasoned finance leader with over 25 years of experience in various sectors, including private and public organizations, grant management, higher education, and government-funded projects. With an MBA and esteemed accounting certifications such as CPA, CGA, ACCA, and FCCA, Hanad brings valuable expertise to any organization, including his current senior leadership position at Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

Throughout his career, Hanad has demonstrated strong leadership skills, fostering collaboration among cross-functional teams and maintaining effective communication. His background in corporate finance and accounting management equips him to guide teams in achieving their maximum potential and performance. Hanad has worked with reputable companies such as Shoppers Drug Mart, Microsoft Canada, eHealth Ontario, College of North Atlantic Qatar, and Sidra Medicine. In addition, he worked with various projects funded by organizations such as the World Bank, World Health Organization, and European Union Budget Support. His diverse experience highlights his adaptability and ability to succeed in different environments and industries. Hanad's expertise in managing budgets ranging from 200 million to 2.5 billion Qatari Riyal underscores his proficiency in handling financial operations of varying sizes and complexities, making him a valuable asset to any financial management team.