Dr. Ghanimeh El-Taweel is an Affiliate Instructor at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar. She is a disability advocate and activist whose work centers on media accessibility and inclusive communication in the Arab world. She holds a PhD in Translation Studies: Media Accessibility from the University of Antwerp. Ghanimeh teaches courses in Translation for Access, covering topics such as audio description, subtitling for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, and easy-to-understand language. Her research explores the intersection of disability, deafness, and accessibility within Arabic media and cultural contexts.
 

Rayan Khalil is an architect and architectural researcher with over five years of experience in academic research and an equal tenure as a lecturer and design studio instructor. She began her teaching career at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Khartoum, as a teaching assistant, later serving as a lecturer at the National University, which holds accreditation from the British Accreditation Board. 

Alongside her academic career, Rayan has built a long, intermittent practice in architectural and interior design, with her most recent project completed in Cairo, Egypt, in July 2024. She has also contributed as a researcher and writer with Studio Urban, collaborating on multidisciplinary projects with the Goethe-Institut and the British Council.

In addition to her architectural work, Rayan is an accomplished visual artist, having participated in numerous regional and international exhibitions, most recently in Doha in 2024. Her professional journey reflects a commitment to bridging architectural practice, research, and creative expression across diverse cultural and disciplinary contexts, combining scholarly depth with practical design expertise.
 

From 2022 to today, Dr. Beka has served as a consultant for the Digital Sīra Project at the College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, where he leads multilingual research and digital teams in producing innovative 3D and VR educational content on the Prophet’s life. 
 

Sarah Zuhair has over ten years of experience teaching Arabic to non-native speakers. She has worked at Qasid Institute, Sijal Institute, and the Language Center at the University of Jordan. Additionally, she has been part of the Arabic teaching programs at Middlebury College and Al Jazeera Media Institute.

Alongside teaching, Sarah is a professional translator from English to Arabic, specializing in academic and literary translation. She regularly contributes translations to Al-Thaqafa Al-Alamiya, a magazine published by the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters in Kuwait. She is proficient in Arabic, English, and Turkish, and enjoys working in a team and engaging in diverse, dynamic activities.

Dr. Salman M Toor graduated in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Bradford, UK, and obtained his PhD in Tumour Immunology and Teaching Certification from the University of Portsmouth, UK. Dr. Toor worked at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, as a Research Assistant from 2014, and joined Qatar Biomedical Research Institute as a Research Associate in 2017, focusing on Cancer Immunology. He then joined Dr. Omar Albagha’s research group focusing on Genomic Medicine at the College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, as a Post-Doctoral Researcher.

Dr. Toor is presently working as a Research Fellow at Qatar Biomedical Research Institute in Dr. Omar Albagha’s group. His current research is aimed at understanding the genetic determinants of complex diseases with an emphasis on Cardiovascular diseases and Diabetes. Dr. Toor is an Associate Editor for Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports (Elsevier) and an Editorial Board member of Discover Oncology and Discover Immunity (Springer Nature).

With more than 50 research publications in reputed scientific journals, Dr. Toor aspires to excel in academia and in biomedical research.
 

Diana Hassan is a public health scholar with a focus on community health promotion and health policy. She has more than 15 years of experience supporting initiatives that respond to the health needs of diverse populations across the lifespan and advancing policies that promote equity.

Before joining HBKU, Diana worked at Qatar University, where she conducted community-based research and supported institutional and national health priorities. She built a strong teaching record through curriculum development and student mentorship. Earlier in her career in the United States, she gained practice-based experience as a health educator, working with government agencies and community organizations on programs that strengthened community capacity and supported local health efforts.

Diana’s current work aims to bridge research, policy, and practice through initiatives on WHO age-friendly cities and health-promoting universities, ensuring that findings translate into strategies that advance population health and inform policy development.
Diana has secured competitive grants from funders including the Qatar National Research Fund, QU grants, the USDA, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and the Allen Foundation.
 

Dr. Elbashir is a professor at the Chemical Engineering Department of the College of Science and Engineering at Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU) since August 2025. He was the director of Texas A&M University's Gas and Fuels Research Center from 2015-2025 and a professor in the Chemical Engineering Program at Texas A&M University at Qatar since 2008 (adjunct from August 2025). He has extensive research and teaching experience from industry and academia (e.g., BASF R&D Catalysts, Engelhard and SABIC). His research focuses on designing advanced reactors, catalysts for chemical and environmental processes, and is specialized in designing novel systems in sustainable gas-to-liquid and gas-to-carbon material, including CO2 utilization and decarbonization. He has established several unique global research collaboration models between academia and industry. He holds several granted patents and hundreds of scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference papers, technical industry reports, and others. He has been recognized by awards from Qatar Foundation, BASF Corp., Texas A&M University, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Shell, and others. Dr. Elbashir became a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering in August 2023 and was elected as a member of the Sudan National Academy of Sciences (SNAS) in 2022.

Hina Khalid is an assistant professor in the College of Public Policy (CPP) at Hamad bin Khalifa University. Before joining CPP, she worked as a researcher in the Child Well-Being Research Unit, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. She was also a lecturer at the School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Washington Bothell, and an assistant professor at the Information Technology University in Pakistan.

Her research focuses on improving health outcomes with a special interest in how government policies, institutions, and politics mediate these outcomes. She has authored 15 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals such as the American Journal of Public Health, Social Science and Medicine, Health Systems, and The Lancet, among others.

Her research has been supported by grants from the World Health Organization, World Bank, Shahid Hussain Foundation, and the International Growth Centre.

Dr Hanan Qasem obtained her MSc in Biochemistry from King Saud University, KSA, and completed her PhD in Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar, in 2025. 

Her doctoral research explored the therapeutic potential of targeting the cancer testis antigen Lactate Dehydrogenase C (LDHC) in triple-negative breast cancer. Her work identified key molecular mechanisms by which LDHC drives tumor progression, immune evasion, and chemoresistance. She validated a novel cell-penetrating peptide-based therapeutic approach to target LDHC in a xenograft zebrafish model, resulting in a significantly reduced tumor burden. Her research has contributed to advancing our understanding of TNBC biology and provides a foundation for novel therapeutic strategies to overcome chemotherapy resistance. 

In 2025, Dr Qasem joined Dr Julie Decock’s team at QBRI as a Postdoctoral Researcher, where she investigates the role and clinical relevance of cancer testis antigens in pediatric oncology. She is passionate about translating fundamental scientific discoveries into clinical applications to improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients.