# Neurological Disorders Research Center

**Source**: https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qbri/neurological-disorders-research-center
**Parent**: https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qbri

## Overview

The Neurological Disorders Research Center (NDRC) at QBRI focuses on research in neurological disorders of high prevalence in Qatar and pan-Arabic region, to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism for diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. These disorders are diverse and range from neurodevelopmental diseases, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), and epilepsy, to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

The NDRC is a pioneer neuroscience center in Qatar and the region that aims to study neurological disorders of significant importance. Furthermore, the NDRC has the potential to greatly impact the visibility of neurological disorders in Qatar and the surrounding region, not only by bringing new treatments and hope to patients, but also by significantly accelerating the pace of therapeutic development using technologies, such as experimental disease modeling, biomarker analyses, gene therapy, and stem cell biology.

The key vision of the NDRC is to develop an international center of excellence from basic to applied research in neurological disorders and establish strong partnerships with existing academic research groups, government research-funding agencies, and the healthcare sector.

### QBRI Autism Research Brochure

[Download](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/sites/default/files/2025-04/792_qbri_autism_research_-_booklet_digital.pdf)

## Research Areas

### Developing Biomarkers and Therapies to Treat Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Disorders

### [Dr. Omar El-Agnaf’s Team](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/qbri/research-teams-research-group-dr-omar)

Principal Investigator

### [Dr. Yongsoo Park’s Team](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/qbri/research-teams-dr-yongsoo-park-new-group)

Senior Scientist

### Modeling Neurological Disorders using Stem Cells and Organoids

### [Dr. Abeer Al-Shammari’s Team](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/qbri/research-teams-research-group_abeer-al-shammari)

Scientist

### [Dr. Mohammed Shaker's Team](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/qbri/research-teams-research-group-dr-mohammed-shaker)

Scientist

### Studying the Epidemiology and Genetics of Autism in Qatar

### [Dr. Fouad Alshaban’s Team](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/qbri/research-teams-autism-spectrum-disorder)

Principle investigator

## Research Teams

### [Dr. Omar El Agnaf](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qbri/research-teams-research-group-dr-omar)

Principal Investigator

### [Dr. Fouad Alshaban](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qbri/research-teams-autism-spectrum-disorder)

Principle investigator

### [Dr. Yongsoo Park](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qbri/research-teams-dr-yongsoo-park-new-group)

Senior Scientist

### [Dr. Abeer Al-Shammari](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qbri/research-teams-research-group_abeer-al-shammari)

Scientist

### [Dr. Mohammed Shaker](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qbri/research-teams-research-group-dr-mohammed-shaker)

Scientist

[Interdisciplinary Research Programs](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qbri/interdisciplinary-research-programs-NDRC)

[Research Collaborations](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qbri/research-collaborations-NDRC)

[Capacity Building and Training](https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qbri/capacity-building-training-NDRC)