Dr. Ammira Akil

Dr. Ammira Al-Shabeeb Akil, PhD, EMBA is a biomedical scientist and translational genomics researcher based in Doha, Qatar. She is currently a Principal Investigator – Associate Level and Director of the Metabolic and Mendelian Disorders Translational Research Program at Sidra Medicine, where she also leads the Precision Genomics and Translational Omics laboratory.

She specializes in precision genomics, population genomics, metabolic and Mendelian disorders, type 1 diabetes, genetic risk prediction, whole-genome sequencing, and genomic screening. Her work focuses particularly on translating genomic discoveries into clinical screening and prevention programs, with an emphasis on Middle Eastern populations.

Current Institution & Position

Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar

• Principal Investigator – Associate Level
• Director, Metabolic and Mendelian Disorders – Translational Research Program
• Head, Precision Genomics and Translational Omics Laboratory
• Lead of the Metabolic and Mendelian Clinical-Translational Research Programs

Sidra's official profile confirms that she joined the institution in 2015 and has been involved in developing national genomics initiatives for rare diseases and diabetes.

Education

Dr. Akil holds:

• PhD in Molecular Biology/Genetics — University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia
• Executive MBA (EMBA) — HEC Paris
• Earlier postgraduate training in immunology
• A teaching diploma

Her academic training combines molecular genetics and biomedical research with business, entrepreneurship and research-translation expertise.

Career & Professional Timeline

University of New South Wales / Australia — early research career

Dr. Akil undertook doctoral and subsequent research training in molecular genetics at UNSW in Sydney. Her early professional experience included research and laboratory positions connected with the University of Sydney, Children's Hospital at Westmead, the Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology, and Prince of Wales Hospital.

Postdoctoral research — Australia

She completed three postdoctoral research appointments, covering:

1. Pediatric infectious diseases
2. Myeloma/cancer drug targeting
3. Environmental/genetic factors associated with type 1 diabetes

These appointments gave her multidisciplinary experience in cellular and molecular genetics and translational biomedical research.

2015–2016 — Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Dr. Akil moved to Qatar and joined Sidra Medicine, beginning a major phase of her career focused on precision medicine, diabetes, genomics and rare disease research.

2019 onward — Independent research leadership

She established her research group at Sidra and developed programs around diabetes precision medicine, genetic risk scores, genomic screening and metabolic disease.

2020 onward — Precision prevention research

Her laboratory expanded into translational research covering metabolic disorders, rare diseases, obesity and cancer, with particular emphasis on genomic prediction and precision prevention.

2022 — International research funding

Sidra reported that Dr. Akil received two Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) grants, supporting diabetes precision-medicine research.

2026 — Current research leadership

She is now leading the Metabolic and Mendelian Disorders Translational Research Program and Precision Genomics and Translational Omics at Sidra Medicine.

Major Research Programs

Dr. Akil has been involved in several large-scale genomic initiatives, including:

• NOOR-QATAR — described by Sidra as Qatar's first large-scale population-based newborn genome screening initiative.
• DANNA cohort — a deeply characterized type 1 diabetes cohort involving children, adults and families.
• Qatar Mendelian Disorders (MND) Cohort — a major rare-disease research cohort.
• DIA-MENA — a diabetes screening initiative combining genomics and islet autoantibody testing to identify individuals at risk of type 1 diabetes.

Her research uses whole-genome sequencing, polygenic risk scores, genetic risk prediction, immunogenetics and clinical data to investigate disease susceptibility and enable earlier diagnosis and prevention.

Research Funding & Publications

Sidra reports that Dr. Akil has secured more than $6 million in competitive research funding; a Hamad Medical Corporation conference biography subsequently described her total competitive grant funding as exceeding $7.3 million. Because these figures come from different institutional profiles at different points in time, the most recent institutional figure should be treated as the current one.

Her publications cover:

• Type 1 diabetes
• Precision medicine
• Genetic and polygenic risk
• Diabetes complications
• Obesity and metabolic disease
• Rare genetic disorders
• Cancer biology

Examples include a 2021 Journal of Translational Medicine paper on type 1 diabetes in the personalized-medicine era, a 2022 review on the melanocortin-4 receptor and obesity, and a 2023 study on transcriptional factors associated with diabetic kidney disease.

Conference & Professional Involvement

Dr. Akil has participated as a speaker and research leader at medical and scientific events in Qatar. Hamad Medical Corporation's speaker profile lists her as a speaker and describes her work in genetic risk scores, type 1 diabetes and genomic newborn screening.

She is also involved with international research networks and organizations including INNODIA and the International Consortium on Newborn Sequencing (ICoNS).

Most recently, in 2026, she was identified as the Managing Chair of the Precision Medicine and the Future of Genomics (PMFG) Summit 2026, hosted by Sidra Medicine and scheduled for 7–9 December 2026 at Qatar National Convention Centre.

Key Areas of Expertise

• Precision genomics
• Population genomics
• Translational genomics
• Rare/Mendelian diseases
• Type 1 diabetes
• Diabetes prevention
• Genetic risk scores
• Polygenic risk scores
• Whole-genome sequencing
• Newborn genomic screening
• Metabolic disorders
• Precision health
• Clinical research and cohort development
• Scientific business development and research translation