Areej Mesleh is a Postdoctoral Researcher with expertise in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. She graduated with distinction from Qatar University in 2017 and completed her master’s degree in 2019 at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, where she investigated neuroinflammation in Parkinson's disease. Mesleh earned her PhD in 2023, focusing on proteomics in autism spectrum disorder. She is currently working on developing conformation-specific nanobodies against alpha-synuclein as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic tool for Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Abeer Al-Shammari is a Scientist at the Neurological Disorders Research Center of the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute. She was awarded a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Oxford in the U.K. In 2019, she received the Education Excellence Award under the patronage of His Highness the Emir of Qatar. Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, with the ultimate goal of identifying potential biomarkers and developing targeted therapies.

Dr. Al-Shammari leads a dynamic research team that employs cutting-edge techniques, including immunological assays, stem cell-derived brain cells, gene editing, bioinformatic analysis of single-cell sequencing data, advanced imaging techniques, and deep learning models. Her work has been recognized with multiple research grants and awards. She actively supervises graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, fostering the next generation of scientists. With a passion for advancing scientific discovery, Dr. Al-Shammari is committed to translating her research findings into real-world applications that could improve the lives of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr. Mohammad Farhan is an Associate Professor at the College of Health and Life Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He leads an innovative research program focused on the genomics and epigenetics of psychiatric and neurological disorders. With a PhD in transcriptomic biomarkers of acquired epilepsy from the Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology, Delhi, and postdoctoral training at the University of Oxford and A-STAR & Duke-NUS Medical School, he has cultivated a multidisciplinary expertise. At Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Dr. Farhan has established active collaborations with Sidra Medicine and Hamad Medical Corporation, investigating the genetics and biomarkers of mental health disorders in the Qatari population.

Dr. Farhan is a member of several scientific societies and serves as an editor for Translational Medicine Communications and Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. His research endeavors are supported by various grants from QNRF, MRC, and HBKU. Dr. Farhan’s research aims to unravel the molecular underpinnings of these conditions and pave the way for precision medicine approaches. Dr. Farhan's contributions to the field have been recognized through publications in high-impact journals such as Nature Methods, Neuron, Current Biology, PLOS Biology, BMC Medicine, etc. He actively engages in scientific outreach, participating in op-eds for newspapers, magazines, and TV shows, both locally and internationally.

Dr. Ahmed Abdala is a Chemical Engineering Professor and Program Chair at the College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He received his PhD in chemical engineering and fiber & polymer science from North Carolina State University. His research focuses on developing advanced materials for energy and environmental applications, utilizing polymers and nanomaterials. His work includes polymer nanocomposites, functionalized graphene materials, anti-corrosion coatings, polymeric membranes for gas separation and water treatment, and nanohybrids of metal/metal oxides and 2D nanomaterials for catalysis, adsorption, energy storage, and thermoelectric materials.

Dr. Abdala has published 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, with an H-index of 49 and 20,150 citations, and holds 7 US patents. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the 2023 Texas A&M University at Qatar Faculty Excellence Award, the 2019 Distinguished Researcher Award from the Indian Association of Solid-State Chemists & Allied Scientists (ISCAS), the 2016 Qatar Excellence in Innovation Award from Thomson Reuters, and the 2013 and 2014 “Science Lantern Faculty Award” from the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

Eleni Polymenopoulou is an Associate Professor at the College of Law at Hamad Bin Khalifa University and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. She holds a diploma in Law from the University of Athens and a Master in Law and PhD in Human Rights Law/International Law from the University of Grenoble-Alpes (France).

Before her current appointment, she practiced law and collaborated with several NGOs, including the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), Article 19 (on freedom of expression) and the International Press Institute (IPI). Eleni also holds a diploma in Applied Arts, Comics and Illustration (Athens) and has published books as a children’s book author and illustrator. In 2019, she received an honorary research fellowship award at University College London (UCL-Qatar) for her project on cultural heritage and Islamic law and a research grant in 2022 to set up the ‘Art and Law’ Lab at VCUarts – Qatar (with Prof. Radha Dalal). 

Her most recent published book is Artistic Freedom in International Law (CUP 2023). Currently, she is working on a monograph on Cultural Heritage Law in the Arabian Gulf: An International and Comparative Law Perspective.
 

Dr. Indulekha P. Sudhakaran is a Research Associate at Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI). She holds BSc and MSc degrees in Biotechnology and earned her PhD from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, India. Her doctoral research focused on the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity involved in memory formation in Drosophila and the role of protein aggregation in neuronal plasticity.

In 2017, Dr. Sudhakaran joined QBRI as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Omar El-Agnaf’s group. Her current research is dedicated to developing and optimizing an ELISA-based immunoassay for the early diagnosis of synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA).

Additionally, she has contributed to the characterization of in-house developed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), nanobodies (Nbs), and DNA-based aptamers targeting specific pathogenic strains of alpha-synuclein, a protein implicated in PD. Her work has significant implications for the diagnosis and treatment of PD and related neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr. Georgios (George) Dimitropoulos is a Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Research and S.J.D. Program Coordinator at the College of Law, as well as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University in Qatar. His research focuses on redefining the boundaries of domestic and international law, with particular emphasis on economic sovereignty and the impact of digital technologies on traditional legal models.

Dr. Dimitropoulos is currently the Lead Principal Investigator of the Industrial Policy for Digital Development (IPDD) Project, funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF). He is also an incoming WTO Chairholder of the World Trade Organization Chairs Programme (WCP). He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of World Investment & Trade and the Asia Pacific Law Review and is Vice-Chair of the International Law and Technology Interest Group of the American Society of International Law (ASIL).

George holds an LL.M. and J.S.D. from Yale Law School, and an LL.M. and Ph.D. summa cum laude from the University of Heidelberg. He has held visiting positions at institutions like NYU, UCL, and SMU. His work has appeared in leading journals such as the Washington Law Review, the World Trade Review, and the Journal of International Economic Law. Some of his recent work includes the books Regulating Blockchain: Techno-Social and Legal Challenges (co-edited with Philipp Hacker, Ioannis Lianos, and Stefan Eich, OUP, 2019) and International Commercial Courts: The Future of Transnational Adjudication (co-edited with Stavros Brekoulakis, CUP, 2022).

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.

Richard Steinberg is Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles; Visiting Professor of Global Studies at Stanford University; and Counselor to the American Society of International Law.

Dr. Steinberg is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning http://iccforum.com/,  served on the Board of Editors of the American Journal of International Law from 2004-2014, and served on the Editorial Board of International Organization from 2003-2012. He has taught law courses at Stanford Law School, the University of California Berkeley (Boalt Hall) School of Law, Sciences Po (Institut d’Etudes Politiques) in France, the University of Coimbra in Portugal, and elsewhere.

Professor Steinberg has written over 40 articles, and edited or co-authored seven books on international law. 

Prior to arriving at UCLA, Professor Steinberg worked as Assistant General Counsel to the United States Trade Representative in Washington, D.C., and later as an associate with Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco. He also served as Project Director at the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy (BRIE) at UC Berkeley.

Dr. Bantekas is a Professor of Transnational Law (with an emphasis on sports law, contracts, arbitration and international law) at HBKU and Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies of the University of London. He has advised international organizations, including UN, CoE, IDEA, OIC, UNDP and is regularly appointed as arbitrator in international commercial disputes. He was appointed to the list of arbitrators of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2023 and advises private entities and national federations on various regulatory and contractual aspects of sports law. He has authored more than 200 peer reviewed articles, including in the American Journal of Int’L; British YB Int’l L; ICLQ; European J Int’l L; Human Rts Quarterly; J Int’l Dispute Settlement; Arbitration Int’l; American Rev Int’l Arbitration; Berkeley J Int’l L; Pennsylvania J Constitutional Law and others. He is the author of 20 books, 13 of which have been published by Oxford and Cambridge University Press.