Dr Rayaz Malik of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) was ranked the number one researcher in medicine in Qatar by Research.com, an independent research portal that compiles a global list of high-achieving scientists each year.

In addition to being ranked number one in Qatar, Research.com also ranked Dr Malik among the top 10,000 researchers in medicine in the world. The ranking is determined by analysing the number of influential pieces of research authored by the scientist, combined with awards, fellowships and academic recognition they received from leading research institutions and government agencies.

Nine years with WCM-Q

Dr Malik, a professor of medicine and assistant dean for clinical investigations at WCM-Q, already published over 450 papers. He has been with WCM-Q for nine years, during which time he published 310 papers on diabetes complications and neurodegenerative diseases.

He pioneered the use of the Corneal Confocal Microscope (CCM), a rapid, non-invasive ophthalmic imaging technique to diagnose and predict progression of multiple neurodegenerative diseases including patients with diabetic neuropathy, hereditary neuropathy, long-COVID, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, dementia, schizophrenia and autism, among others. Dr Malik is also a practicing consultant physician in endocrinology and diabetes at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

On making it to the top of Research.com list, he said his passion and drive to undertake research started when he was a young doctor in Manchester in 1993.

We saw the need for a rapid and objective way to help diagnose debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. In CCM we have truly harnessed the saying that ‘the eye is the window to the soul’ and beyond.

Dr Malik said he is grateful for the support he received from the leadership of WCM-Q and the funding from Qatar Foundation and Qatar National Research Fund, and the multiple collaborations with fellow scientists and clinicians in institutes across Doha, including HMC, Sidra Medicine, Qatar University and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

He also mentioned the hard work of his team and the many people and patients who gave their precious time in their research. Dr Malik said he is extremely grateful to be recognised by Research.com.

Check out Marhaba’s FREE e-Guides for everything you need to know about Qatar.