QF entity’s Arabic comic strip on genomics spurs young minds

Doha: One day as she returned from work, Dima Darwish, Head of Scientific Education at Qatar Foundation’s Qatar Genome Programme, was caught without an answer when one of her children asked about the nature of her work. Always the expert, she struggled for words to describe her job to her four-year-old.

“It was this simple question that helped me realize how difficult it is for younger children to understand genomics. As experts, we have been working with the community to map the Qatari genome – a top priority for Qatar and the region – and yet here we are, still unable to effectively communicate basic information about genomics to children,” Darwish says. This inspired her to create and develop Genome Heroes – an Arabic comic strip that aims at making the science of genomics understandable to younger children. Qatar is among the leading countries worldwide in precision medicine. The country is building a dynamic research sector around it, which has triggered genuine interest in designing, planning, and preparing the next generation of precision medicine professionals.