{
  "id": 10395561,
  "title": "HBKU participates in meeting on autism on sidelines of UNGA81",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/hbku-participates-in-meeting-on-autism-on-sidelines-of-unga81",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-27T21:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf Times",
    "slug": "gulf-times",
    "url": "https://www.gulf-times.com/article/734311/qatar/hbku-participates-in-meeting-on-autism-on-sidelines-of-unga81"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a part of Qatar Foundation (QF), took part in a high-level breakfast meeting during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81). This event, organized by Qatar and the Global Autism Advocacy Coalition (GAAC), brought together health ministers, global stakeholders, and international experts to discuss the gaps in autism services, policy, workforce development, and inclusion worldwide. The GAAC, a coalition founded by QF one year ago, now comprises the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation, and the Autism Impact Fund.\n\nThe HBKU was represented by Dr Dena al-Thani, an associate professor and co-founder of the A-sense Centre of Excellence at HBKU's College of Science and Engineering, and Dr Marwa Qaraqe, also a co-founder of the A-sense Centre. Their presence at the meeting highlights HBKU's role in advancing research and evidence-based approaches to global health challenges, such as autism.\n\nHBKU's research focuses on autism from various angles, including its six-year national prevalence study, which found that approximately one in 87 children in Qatar has autism. The university is also exploring AI tools to detect early behavioral and speech indicators before formal diagnosis, examining parental age as a potential risk factor, and studying the impact of public-health crises on autistic families. Through its Neurological Disorders Research Centre, HBKU investigates the biological and genetic aspects of autism, while the A-sense Centre of Excellence creates technology-enabled solutions to support communication, early identification, and inclusion, aligning with Qatar’s National Action Plan for Autism.\n\nDr Dena al-Thani emphasized that participating in the UNGA81 meeting demonstrates that scientific research is interconnected. \"The tools and research pioneered at the HBKU are built to scale,\" she said. \"By contributing precise biomedical data, human-centred engineering models, and expertise to the GAAC, we are actively demonstrating how localized innovation can tackle complex health challenges, from early screening to lifelong support.\"",
  "summary": "Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), participated in a high-level breakfast held on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}