The Department of Public Health at the College of Health Sciences at Qatar University (QU) organized the theses oral defense for five Master of Public Health candidates, culminating in an impressive display of their research acumen and readiness for professional practice.

In addition to faculty examiners from the Department of Public Health, examination committees consisted of examiners from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, KSA; Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan; the University of Indonesia; East Tennessee State University; the Department of Nutrition at QU; the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at QU; College of Medicine, QU; College of Pharmacy, QU; College of Arts and Sciences, QU; and the Biomedical Research Center, QU.

Under the supervision of Dr. Banan Al Mukhalalati, Dr. Hanan Abdul Rahim, and Dr. Manar Elhassan, master’s student Sara Elshami defended her thesis titled “Assessing the Perceptions of Healthcare Practitioners of Disaster Management in Qatar: Tool Development, Psychometric Evaluation, and Administration.” The results of her study showed that health practitioners in Qatar demonstrate a strong foundation in disaster management, potentially suggesting the ability to preserve the health and well-being of the population during disasters.

Under the supervision of Dr. Manar Elhassan, Dr. Zumin Shi, and Dr. Nasseer Masoodi, master’s student Hina Akram defended her thesis titled “Exploring the Association of Cognitive Function with Folate and Cobalamin Levels in Health Aging Population of Qatar: Perspectives from Qatar Biobank.” Her study showed that there are no statistically significant associations between the levels of folate and cobalamin in blood and cognitive function metrics. These findings underscore the necessity for more robust studies to unravel the multifaceted interactions between nutrition and cognitive health, thereby informing more effective interventions for cognitive impairment prevention and management.

Under the supervision of Dr. Karam Turk-Adawi, master’s student Sana Elashie defended her thesis titled “Cardiac Rehabilitation Program-Related Factors Associated with Mortality and Morbidity Among Patients in Low-Resource Settings: Analysis from the International Cardiac Rehabilitation Registry.” Her study findings suggest that cardiac rehabilitation programs should prioritize comprehensive risk assessment, longer durations, and provide more sessions of patient education to reduce morbidity.

Under the supervision of Dr. Manar Elhassan, Dr. Laith Abu-Raddad and Dr. Hiam Chemaitelly, Layan Sukik defended her thesis titled “COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Effectiveness Against Infection, Symptoms, and Severity: A Dynamic Gradient Over Time.” The findings of her research revealed that a gradient in vaccine effectiveness exists and is linked to the symptoms and severity of infection, providing higher protection against more symptomatic and severe cases. This gradient intensifies over time as vaccine immunity wanes after the last vaccine dose.

Under the supervision of Dr. Hanan Abdul Rahim and Dr. Hafiz Ahmad Mohammed, master’s student Usra Elshaikh defended her thesis titled “Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences in Arab Countries: Exploring Measurement Tools and Physicians' Perspectives.” Her thesis findings highlight the need for standardized Adverse Childhood Experiences tools and comprehensive training for healthcare providers in the Arab world.

For more information about the Department of Public Health at Qatar University, please visit here.