Researchers at QF partner Texas A&M at Qatar addressing COVID-19 in Qatar
Published Apr 29, 2020
Code design and modeling to improve testing, 3D printing of medical parts and devices, and strategies to prevent the spread of coronavirus are just a few of the projects that faculty and researchers at Texas A&M University at Qatar, a Qatar Foundation partner university, are investigating during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
A committee comprising members from Texas A&M’s campuses in Education City and in College Station, Texas (USA), selected the following projects for funding:
- Code Design and Modeling to Improve Testing — Dr. Joseph Boutros and Dr. Hussein Alnuweiri, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Establishing Aerosol Virus Monitoring Capability in Qatar for Mitigation of COVID-19 and Future Epidemics — Dr. Bing Guo
- 3D Printing of Critical Need Medical Parts and Devices — Dr. Bilal Mansoor and Dr. Marwan Khraisheh, Mechanical Engineering
- Investigation of the feasibility of large-scale sterilization of medical, industrial and food using electron beam technologies — Dr. Othmane Bouhali, Science (physics)
- Tailored prevention of coronavirus — Dr. Konstantinos Kakosimos, Chemical Engineering
- Investigation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the control of the process safety risk in major hazards industries in Qatar: Data collection, analysis and recommendations — Dr. Luc Véchot, Chemical Engineering
- Public health information and linguistic diversity in Qatar amidst the COVID-19 pandemic — Dr. Sara Hillman, Liberal Arts
The projects are part of Texas A&M at Qatar’s COVID-19 Response Program that is funding short-term, high-impact projects that support Qatar’s efforts to combat the outbreak of the virus, said Dr. Hassan S. Bazzi, associate dean for research and advancement.
“The work to combat COVID-19 is an international endeavor that universities and institutions around the world are working to address, including our main campus,” Bazzi said. “We are all in this together and any progress will benefit our communities in Qatar and in Texas. We are also working with our partners in Qatar Foundation, Hamad Medical Corporation, and the Ministry of Public Health, on different projects aimed at combatting the virus.”
Dr. César Octavio Malavé, dean of Texas A&M at Qatar, said the response from faculty to the call for proposals and the breadth of projects submitted showcase the depth of Texas A&M at Qatar’s expertise and the innovation and creativity of its faculty researchers.
“Faculty members at Texas A&M at Qatar are known for more than just educating outstanding engineers,” Malvé said. “Our faculty are renowned experts in their fields and known for innovating solutions to real-world challenges in Qatar and worldwide. The way our faculty have risen to the occasion to serve the State of Qatar by lending their expertise in new and creative ways — while continuing to teach classes and support our students online — makes me proud to be a part of this community. We truly are engineering leaders in Qatar.”