A note from a research intern in the West Bank

Mohammad Saleh began working with PCS during our 2012 Fall Surgical Volunteer trip this past December. He has continued to work with us in conducting research surveys since that time. Here's some thoughts from Mohammad regarding his time with PCS:

I'm Mohammad Saleh, a 4th year medical student at Al-Quds University.  My eagerness to work in research lead me to work with the Palestinian Cleft Society, as it they are conducting research on craniofacial anomalies for patients in Palestine.  

I'm currently working as a research intern with PCS. One of the goals of the research is to look for risk factors that may contribute to the incidence of congenital craniofacial anomalies in Palestine. In addition to my eagerness for research, our entire team is very encouraging and works hard together, and I hope that our work will finish with great results.  

When I first started with PCS, the only thing that mattered to me was to work on the research - I didn't pay much attention to the other things that the Society provides. But, when I engaged more in the work of the Society, I realized that the help they provide here isn't usual. It's a unique effort from a collection of volunteers and interns, doctors, students and others who are willing to provide help for the Palestinian children with congenital craniofacial anomalies. The idea that all of our work, including surgeries, is being done for free is simply amazing. I feel truly proud to work with PCS. 

Mohammad Saleh 

Palestine's Depression Epidemic

Forbes staff writer Bruce Upbin recently wrote about Palestinian neuroscientist Mohammad Herzallah, a graduate of Al-Quds medical school and current Ph.D. candidate at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.

An impressive 40% of Palestinians are said to be clinically depressed, providing a unique opportunity for depression research. Dr. Herzallah directs the Palestinian Neuroscience Initiative, which has conducted extensive research in its few years of operation.

"It's a tragic fact but Palestine is an ideal place for depression research," says Dr. Herzallah. "Let's turn the problem into an advantage and train the next generation to deal with it."

Read the full article here: "A Young Doctor Fights the Depression Epidemic in Palestine"