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Dr. Omar Albagha
Acting Executive Director, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute and Professor, College of Health and Life Sciences
2022-2023 Research Excellence Award
Dr. Omar Albagha received his PhD scholarship to investigate genetic susceptibility to osteoporosis at the University of Aberdeen. After completing his PhD degree in 2001, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher until 2002, when he was appointed as an Arthritis Research UK lecturer (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 as a Professor of Genomic and Precision Medicine. 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. He has active collaborations with Qatar Genome Project 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. Issa Khalil
Research Director, Qatar Computing Research Institute
2022-2023 Research Excellence Award
Dr. Issa Khalil is the Research Director of Cyber Security at the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI). He earned his PhD in Computer Engineering from Purdue University in 2007. Dr. Khalil is an expert in security data analytics, network security, AI/ML security, privacy, cyber threat intelligence, and private data sharing. Dr. Khalil founded the National Cyber Security Research Lab (NCSRL) and led the design and deployment of one of the largest cyber ranges in the region. He has contributed to the Cyber Security Grand Challenge and the development of Qatar’s National Cyber Security Strategies.
His work includes over 120 publications in top-tier cybersecurity journals and conferences, alongside more than 12 U.S. patents and disclosures, four of which have been licensed to international security providers. His achievements have been featured in prominent outlets like the BBC and Qatar TV and have earned him prestigious awards, including the "Tech Team Award" from Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), the HBKU Research Excellence Award, and UAEU’s Outstanding Professor Award for his contributions to research, teaching, and service.
Dr. Yusuf Bicer
Associate Professor, College of Science and Engineering
2022-2023 Teaching Excellence Award
Dr. Yusuf Bicer is an Associate Professor in the College of Science and Engineering at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Ontario Tech University, Canada. His PhD thesis investigated photoelectrochemical-based hydrogen and ammonia production options. He completed his BSc in Control Engineering and a master’s in Energy Science and Technology from Istanbul Technical University, Turkey.
His research focuses on utilizing solar energy in various processes, such as effective cooling in greenhouses through innovative approaches, the development of renewable-based integrated energy systems with desalination, carbon capture and conversion, and clean fuel production, including hydrogen and ammonia.
Dr. Amine Bermak
Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean, College of Science and Engineering
2022-2023 Service Excellence Award
Prof. Amine Bermak is a Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Science and Engineering. He received his Master's and PhD degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Microelectronics and Microsystems) from Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France, in 1994 and 1998, respectively.
His research can be best described as being at the crossroads between algorithmic solutions and hardware-friendly VLSI architecture for sensors, microsystems, and Artificial Intelligence applications. He has published 539 papers (230 journals, 8 book chapters, 286 conference papers, and 15 patents), mostly in top-tier venues. Prof. Bermak has delivered 26 invited keynotes and won 7 best paper awards.
He is the recipient of the Best Researcher Award at CSE in 2019, the Best Innovator Award at HBKU in 2022, the Service Excellence Award at HBKU in 2023, and the Research Excellence Award at HBKU in 2024. He is the General Chair of IEEE DELTA 2008, IEEE BioCAS 2009, and ICM 2024. He has also served on multiple editorial boards of IEEE journals. Prof. Bermak is a Fellow of IEEE and an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer. He has been the Chair of the HBKU University Senate since 2024.
Prof. Omar Albagha modal 4
Professor, College of Health and Life Sciences
2022-2023 Research Excellence Award
Prof. Amine Bermak is the founding head of the Information and Computing Technology (ICT) division of the College of Science and Engineering (CSE). Prof. Bermak was instrumental in building the B.Sc. in Computer Engineering, the M.Sc. in Cybersecurity, the M.Sc. in Data Science and Engineering, and the Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering programs. The development of these programs involved major groundwork related to the drafting of the initial proposals, market analysis as well as ministerial approval for the programs.
During his tenure as acting associate provost, he worked on multiple founding initiatives for the university, such as establishing formal policies, processes, and committees for curriculum development, drafting the faculty handbook, and drafting of major policies and procedures such as the HBKU promotion policy. Professor Bermak was the chair and founder of multiple university committees, such as the founder and chair of the University Academic Programs and Studies Committee (UAPSC). This committee constitutes the backbone for handling curriculum development within the whole University at a very early stage of development of HBKU. Prof. Bermak was also the chair of the University Senate task force.
For his outstanding service to the profession, Prof. Bermak has been recognized through multiple awards. Prof. Bermak is a Fellow of IEEE (only 3% of all 400,000 IEEE members are recognized with this honor), a Fellow of the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association AAIA, IEEE Distinguished Lecturer, and a Chair of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Committee on Sensory Systems. He was recently nominated by Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, QF Vice Chairperson and CEO, to Join the National Committee for Artificial Intelligence