Doha, November 13 (QNA) - Qatar University (QU) has concluded a first Health Tech Hackathon 2024, held under the theme "Innovating Health, Empowering Tomorrow.

"The event, which ran over three days at the Itqan Clinical Simulation and Innovation Center under Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), brought together innovators, students, and professionals from diverse fields including healthcare, engineering, and business to develop creative solutions for pressing healthcare challenges in the State of Qatar.

The Hackathon highlighted four major themes in telemedicine and remote monitoring, genomics and precision medicine, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and public health, mental wellness and featured firsthand training sessions, workshops, and discussion panels, providing participants with an ideal environment to exchange ideas and develop projects that address Qatar's urgent healthcare needs.

The closing ceremony culminated with the awarding of prizes to the winning teams and recognition of exceptional projects that contribute to the advancement of healthcare through innovation.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Vice President for Health and Medical Sciences and Director of Biomedical Research Center at QU, Prof. Asma Al-Thani said the first Health Tech Hackathon 2024, gathered young talent and expertise to come together and create innovative solutions for healthcare.

She added that the event was more than just a competition, as it was a platform for collaboration, intellectual exchange, and bridging science, creativity, and application, affirming that everyone here was a winner, as each idea and step taken contributes to a brighter future for healthcare in Qatar.

Associate Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies at QU, Prof. Feras Qasem Alali, said the QU Health Sectors first Health Tech Hackathon represents a groundbreaking opportunity for students, healthcare professionals, and innovators to collaborate on transformative solutions for pressing healthcare issues, adding that the event embodies QU Healths dedication to fostering innovation and driving meaningful change in healthcare for Qatar and beyond.

For her part, chairperson of this Hackathon, Dr. Kholoud Abdulla, said the The QU Health Tech Hackathon 2024 goes beyond tackling healthcare challenges.

Its about equipping the next generation of innovators to shape the future of healthcare, emphasizing that by bringing together diverse talents, transformative ideas are fostered to enhance patient outcomes, advance healthcare technology, and elevate healthcare quality overall.

Chair of the QU Health Innovation Committee, Dr. Faleh Tamimi, stated that building a knowledge-based economy in Qatar relies on developing technology-driven ideas.

This is why events like this are essential, He added, pointing out that the most successful technological advancements in healthcare come from interdisciplinary teams that combine deep clinical insight with the technical skills necessary to address these challenges.

He underlined that the hackathon aims to foster such successful health tech innovation in Qatar. (QNA)