Doha, 24 June 2012: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) was honored with the Award of Excellence in a recent international scientific meet for achieving the status of Best Recruitment Center among more than one hundred (100) centers worldwide participating in a multicenter international research project. The award was given at the Twin Birth Study International Collaborator's meeting held on 9- 11 May in Toronto, Canada. The meeting was attended by principal investigators and trial coordinators from the 20 countries involved in the Twin Birth Study (TBS), which includes countries in Europe, North America, South America, Australia, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The Twin Birth Study is the first large randomized controlled trial that has been done to compare the efficacy and safety of the two modes of delivery – normal vaginal delivery and Caesarian section – in twin pregnancies where both the fetuses are in cephalic or head-first presentation (the normal fetal position to come down the birth canal). The TBS also compares the effects of both modes of delivery on maternal and neonatal outcomes. The study is expected to have a significant impact on these outcomes, and could potentially change medical practice worldwide. The TBS is funded by the Canadian Health Research and run by the Center for Mother, Infant and Child Research (CMICR), a major global research center for maternal, infant and child health located in Women's Hospital and Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto, Canada. The TBS trial was initiated in 2004 and its first phase finished in 2011. The second phase is expected to be completed by 2013. Dr Sajjad Rahman, Senior Consultant Neonatologist at Women's Hospital (a member of HMC) and regional Principal Investigator of the TBS trial was present at the occasion and received the award on behalf of HMC. Dr Rahman commended the efforts of his research team, saying, “The TBS trial would not have been the success that it became without the tireless efforts of Dr Amal Al Jasim, coordinator of the trial in Qatar, along with the team of obstetricians at Women's Hospital.” The meeting discussed primary results of the first phase of the research trial, and also tackled issues in different researches being conducted in the participating regions. Dr Rahman gave a presentation on Qatar’s increasing commitment to research and human development, highlighting the role of Qatar Foundation in supporting first-class research through the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), as well as HMC’s efforts to promote collaborative multicenter research. Dr Rahman also presented the preliminary outcomes of Qatar’s Perinatal Neonatal Outcomes Research Study (PEARL Study), which is funded by the QNRF. Qatar’s vision of human development was very warmly lauded by the audience, and many institutions expressed their interest in establishing collaborative research and academic work with HMC and other institutions in Qatar. ILQ NEWS

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