Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
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.
Research Interests
- The genetic architecture of health-related traits in the Qatari population.
- Identification of genetic and epigenetic factors conferring susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes
- Personalized care for Qatari patients with genetic predisposition to hypercholesterolemia
- Identification of genetic and epigenetic factors contributing to Autism Spectrum Disorder
Biography
Professor
Hamad Bin Khalifa University
2019 - Present
Principle Investigator
Qatar Biomedical Research Institute
2017 - 2019
Principal Investigator in Genetics and Functional Genomics
Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, U.K. (on Leave of Absence)
2005 - present
Lecturer (Assistant Professor)
Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK
2002 - 2005
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK
2001 - 2002
Education/Academic qualification
Genetics (Medical Sciences), PhD, University of Aberdeen
… → 2001
Medical Molecular Genetics, Master, University of Aberdeen
… → 1997
Jordan Medical Technology, Bachelor, University of Jordan
… → 1996
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Projects
- 5 Active
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EX-QNRF-PPM-24: Integrating metabolomics, microbiomics, and pharmacogenomics for personalized metformin treatment in Qatari type 2 diabetes patients
Albagha, O. (Lead Principal Investigator), Bastaki, D. K. (Principal Investigator), Al-Asmakh, D. M. (Principal Investigator), Elrayess, D. M. (Lead Principal Investigator), Hariri, D. M. A. (Principal Investigator) & Zughaier, D. S. (Principal Investigator)
1/01/24 → 1/01/27
Project: Experimental Development/Translation Research
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HBKU-OVPR-TG-Cycle-2-20: CRISPR-Cas9 functional screen to identify novel prognostics and therapeutics lncRNA targets in triple negative breast cancer
Shaath, H. (Research Associate), Albagha, O. (Principal Investigator), Alajez, N. (Lead Principal Investigator), Alam, T. (Principal Investigator) & Radhakrishnan, V. B. (Post Doctoral Fellow)
1/06/23 → 30/11/25
Project: Applied Research
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EX-QNRF-NPRPS-17: A Precision Medicine Initiative To Target Paediatric Cerebral Palsy, A Movement Disorder
Albagha, O. (Principal Investigator), Farhan, M. (Lead Principal Investigator), El Hajj, N. (Principal Investigator), Grimshaw, P. (Principal Investigator), Ahammad, F. (Graduate Student), Abu Snaimeh, H. (Graduate Student), Miranda, H. G. (Graduate Student), Assistant-2, R. (Research Assistant), Thornton, D. L. (Principal Investigator), Collier, D. T. (Principal Investigator) & Hussain, S. (Graduate Student)
15/11/22 → 15/11/26
Project: Experimental Development/Translation Research
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EX-QNRF-PPM-10: Pharmacogenomics of TNF inhibitors in autoimmune diseases
Albagha, O. (Principal Investigator), El Hajj, N. (Principal Investigator), Nemer, G. (Lead Principal Investigator), Jithesh, P. V. (Principal Investigator), El Assadi, F. (Graduate Student), Jan, Z. (Graduate Student), Technician-1, L. (Lab Technician), Assistant-2, R. (Research Assistant), Hammoudeh, D. M. (Principal Investigator), Emadi, D. S. A. (Principal Investigator), Assistant-1, R. (Research Assistant), Elawad, D. M. (Principal Investigator), Bout-Tabaku, D. S. (Principal Investigator) & Akobeng, P. A. (Principal Investigator)
1/01/21 → 5/07/25
Project: Experimental Development/Translation Research
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EX-QNRF-NPRPC-2: Qatar Diabetes Prevention Program (QDPP)
Albagha, O. (Lead Principal Investigator) & Toor, M. S. M. (Post Doctoral Fellow)
11/08/19 → 11/02/26
Project: Applied Research
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A multi-ancestry genome-wide association study and evaluation of polygenic scores of LDL-C levels
Umlai, U. K. I., Toor, S. M., Al-Sarraj, Y. A., Mohammed, S., Al Hail, M. S. H., Ullah, E., Kunji, K., El-Menyar, A., Gomaa, M., Jayyousi, A., Saad, M., Qureshi, N., Al Suwaidi, J. M. & Albagha, O. M. E., Mar 2025, In: Journal of Lipid Research. 66, 3, 100752.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Circulating PIWI-interacting RNAs in Acute Ischemic Stroke patients
Toor, S. M., Aldous, E. K., Parray, A., Akhtar, N., Al-Sarraj, Y., Arredouani, A., Pir, G. J., Pananchikkal, S. V., El-Agnaf, O., Shuaib, A., Alajez, N. M. & Albagha, O. M. E., Apr 2025, In: Non-coding RNA Research. 11, p. 294-302 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus) -
Analysis of 14,392 whole genomes reveals 3.5% of Qataris carry medically actionable variants
The Qatar Genome Program Research Consortium, Consortium Lead Principal Investigators, Data Management and Computing Infrastructure group, Applied Bioinformatics Core, Sequencing and Genotyping group, Biobank and Sample Preparation & Qatar Genome Project Management, Nov 2024, In: European Journal of Human Genetics. 32, 11, p. 1465-1473 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access4 Citations (Scopus) -
Correction to: Genome-wide association study and trans-ethnic meta-analysis identify novel susceptibility loci for type 2 diabetes mellitus (BMC Medical Genomics, (2024), 17, 1, (115), 10.1186/s12920-024-01855-1)
Elashi, A. A., Toor, S. M., Umlai, U. K. I., Al-Sarraj, Y. A., Taheri, S., Suhre, K., Abou-Samra, A. B. & Albagha, O. M. E., Dec 2024, In: BMC Medical Genomics. 17, 1, 131.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate
Open Access -
Genome-wide association study and meta-analysis of phytosterols identifies a novel locus for serum levels of campesterol
Alenbawi, J., Al-Sarraj, Y. A., Umlai, U. K. I., Kadhi, A., Hendi, N. N., Nemer, G. & Albagha, O. M. E., Dec 2024, In: Human Genomics. 18, 1, 85.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access