RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has conferred the prestigious “First Rank King Abdulaziz Medal” on Saudi female scientist Dr. Khawla Al-Kuraya in recognition of her achievements in science that have made her a prominent international figure in cancer research.
The highly acclaimed medal, instituted in commemoration of the Kingdom’s late founder, is given to individuals in recognition of their contributions to the country.
“As a senior clinical scientist, Dr. Al-Kuraya, who is director of the Research Center at the Riyadh-based King Fahd National Children’s Cancer Center, has received this honor which symbolizes King Abdullah’s support of local scientific endeavors,” said Dr. Qasim Alqasabi, CEO of King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSH & RC).
Dr. Alqasabi expressed deep appreciation for the king’s support of the scientific community and for honoring Dr. Al-Kuraya who is a distinguished member of the KFSH & RC staff.
The King Fahd National Children’s Cancer Center, which is affiliated to KFSH, he said, has been playing a major role in terms of cancer research and studies in the Kingdom.
Al-Kuraya, who was also recently appointed associate-editor of BMC Genomics, an online journal published by the UK-based BioMed Central, completed her residency and fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington. Under her leadership, the research program at King Fahd National Children’s Cancer Center has earned recognition as an active partner of global cancer research.
On receipt of the honor, she said it was “one of those rare recognitions that scientists aspire for.”
“I’m greatly honored to receive such an award from King Abdullah … as a female Saudi scientist, receiving such recognition removes a lot of misconceptions about women and their lives in the Kingdom,” she said.
Dr. Al-Kuraya described how humbled she felt by the honor which she said would encourage her and many others to further advance the state of cancer research at KFSH.
Dr. Al-Kuraya’s research interest varies from translational research to identifying the molecular signature of the common Saudi tumor utilizing the recent technology in cancer genetic fields. She has authored many papers for international peer journals like Nature Genetics, Blood, Cancer Research and Oncogene.
Besides being a member of the College of American Pathologists, she is also a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, the US and Canadian Academy of Pathology, the American Society of Human Genetics, the American Society of Hematology, and the American Society of Clinical Pathology.