Dr. Omar El Agnaf

Considered a pioneer in the field of Parkinson’s and related neurodegenerative diseases and the recipient of 8 regional and international awards recognizing his scientific and leadership contributions, Dr. Omar El-Agnaf is an eminent scholar in his field. 

As Executive Director of Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Dr. El-Agnaf has successfully directed his organization’s efforts to improve and transform healthcare through innovations in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases affecting Qatar and the region. Under his leadership, QBRI has realized significant achievements. From securing extramural research funding from national and international funding agencies to establishing robust alliances with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to winning the 2017 Arab Best Research Institution of the Year Award, QBRI has excelled because of Dr. El-Agnaf’s leadership. 

Over the past 20 years, Dr. El-Agnaf’s research group has positioned itself at the forefront of neuroscience research internationally, building a reputable portfolio in the Middle East and beyond. Individually, his discoveries have greatly impacted the scientific research community, provided further insight into the molecular pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease, and offered new opportunities for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools for the disease. Moreover, he is frequently invited as a speaker at international scientific and clinical meetings and currently serves on the editorial boards of several international journals. His record of performance is characterized by publications in highimpact journals, validating Dr. El-Agnaf’s superior basic and translational research productivity. He holds 12 patents; has published 145 refereed articles, with citations exceeding 12,487 (to date); and possesses an h-index of 59.