After earning his PhD in neurochemistry from the University of Albany, State University of New York, and completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine, Jerusalemite Dr. Qneibi returned to Jerusalem, driven by his belief in the importance of scientific research and the need to develop the skills of the emerging generation in this field.

It was not an easy task to convince some of Jerusalem’s Palestinian schools of the need to provide students with a space that would encourage them to think outside the box and equip them with analytic and research skills alongside the traditional educational curriculum. Over time, however, Dr. Qneibi succeeded in bringing his vision to life. He began teaching scientific research skills throughout the academic year at Rosary Sisters High School in Jerusalem. Later, in 2019, he founded the neuroscience research skills program ToBe, which aims to boost the confidence of students at the high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels and provide them with an opportunity to nurture and showcase their knowledge and skills in neuroscience. ToBe is based in Birzeit, Palestine, and today serves students from six high schools, mostly in Jerusalem but also in the rest of the West Bank.

Today, Dr. Qneibi is also the founder and director of Neuro-Pal Research and Education Center in the Palestinian town of Birzeit near Ramallah, outside Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank. He is advancing the overall mission of changing the medical research landscape in Palestine by “nurturing a generation of Palestinian healthcare professionals with advanced research skills and a deep understanding of research’s critical role in medical advancements.”

We spoke with Dr. Qneibi on November 20, 2025. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Jerusalem Story (JS): Please tell us about yourself.

Dr. Mohammad Qneibi (MQ): I am a Jerusalemite. I was born on August 2, 1983, in Jerusalem, where I was raised. I attended St. George’s School (al-Mutran), where I completed my high school education.

My higher education journey began at Bar-Ilan University, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and biotechnology. I then completed a combined master’s and PhD program in neurochemistry on a full scholarship at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Albany. Later, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University’s School of Medicine and finally returned to Jerusalem in 2014.

JS: What led you to choose the field of neuroscience? Did you sense a gap in this field in Palestine and hope to help fill it?

MQ: My choice of neuroscience stemmed from a long-standing passion for understanding the mechanisms of neural plasticity—both in terms of normal cellular and molecular functions, and the ways in which medications affect neurological diseases.

Alongside this personal interest, I was highly motivated to contribute to elevating Palestine’s standing in the field of neuroscience research by producing high-quality studies that reflect Palestinian capacity, and to compete in the field and help fill scientific and research gaps in neuroscience at the regional and global levels.

JS: How did you first become interested in neuroscience?

MQ: My interest in neuroscience was sparked early in life, driven by a profound curiosity about how the brain shapes behavior, learning, and disease. I was captivated by the interplay of science and human stories—how the firing of a single neuron could influence decisions, emotions, or entire lives. This curiosity blossomed into a commitment to understanding neurological disorders and creating research opportunities for young people in my community.

JS: How did you become academically involved in your field after returning to Jerusalem once you completed your studies?

MQ: I became academically involved by joining An-Najah National University in the city of Nablus, where I helped establish and inaugurate the university’s neuroscience laboratory. This lab served as a launching point for my research work in Palestine.

JS: You returned in 2014 with a different vision; tell us about it.

MQ: Indeed, I returned with a distinct and comprehensive vision: to transfer the advanced experience and knowledge I acquired abroad to Palestine, and to develop high-quality scientific research and neuroscience education.

The aim was to build a strong research environment that offers students learning opportunities, hands-on laboratory experiences, and the chance to contribute to high-quality research, while elevating Palestine’s scientific standing and helping connect students to the global research community.

JS: When you began your rounds in [high] schools—starting in Jerusalem—did you notice any receptiveness, especially since scientific research is still missing from our Palestinian curricula?

MQ: Student and teacher receptiveness were limited at first, because research culture is still not well developed in our Palestinian curricula. There was a sense that this path was difficult and impossible for school students. However, by focusing on youth potential, motivating parents and teachers, and presenting scientific evidence of feasibility, while adopting a step-by-step sequential methodology from basic to more complex skills, students and teachers started believing in this idea, and their enthusiasm for participating in scientific research projects grew.

JS: How did your journey with the children begin, and what did you discover in them?

MQ: It began by teaching the basics of scientific research in a simple and stimulating way, which focuses on hands-on engagement and encourages scientific curiosity.

Through this experience, I discovered that children have a natural curiosity and a great ability to learn. They can grasp complex scientific concepts if they are presented in an age-appropriate way. I also noticed that supporting and motivating them at every step boosts their self-confidence and fuels their desire to innovate and participate in scientific research.

JS: The ToBe research skills program emerged from this journey with children. Tell us about its three levels and what the students do during each of them.

MQ: The ToBe research skills program emerged from my journey with children as an extension of their hands-on, interactive experience in learning scientific research. During the program, students apply what they have learned in practice. It starts with understanding the theoretical foundations of scientific research, moving on to data analysis, and concluding with writing results in simplified scientific language and presenting them through posters and presentations.

• In Level One, students take part in practical laboratory experiments: they culture cells, extract them, revive them, preserve them, and carry out experiments that include mouse dissections.
• In Level Two, students culture cancer cells and apply different drugs to examine their effects. They also learn to insert DNA into cell nuclei and extract neuronal cells.
• In Level Three, students write a research paper based on the scientific studies and articles they have learned. They also gain proficiency in dissecting the mouse brain into multiple sections and measuring electrical currents within them.

At the end of the three levels, students can take an evaluation exam that assesses all the skills and knowledge they have gained. The test serves to identify the top performers, who are offered the chance to publish a scientific research paper in the academic journal Frontiers for Young Minds. It is an experience that boosts their confidence and affirms their ability to achieve scientific accomplishments.

JS: This program was one of the key pillars in establishing the Palestinian Neuro-Pal Research and Education Center. Tell us about its founding, objectives, and the nature of its work.

MQ: The Neuro-Pal Center was established in 2023 with the aim of strengthening scientific research in neuroscience in Palestine and providing an advanced educational environment for students. The center focuses on offering training programs that combine theoretical and practical components, including teaching the fundamentals of scientific research, promoting a culture of research, conducting laboratory experiments, and providing advanced neuro-research techniques. Through this center, we seek to provide students with opportunities to participate in real research projects and publish their scientific work. In other words, we have become a platform that connects students to both the local and global research communities and enhances the productivity of Palestinian scientific research.

The center is the accredited body in Palestine for participating in international neuroscience competitions such as the Brain Bee and other global events where the students represent Palestine, an experience that enhances their scientific expertise and motivates them to excel.

JS: Recently, three Jerusalemite students from the Rosary Sisters High School in Jerusalem, Remas Sayyed, Jana Rama Qutub, and Tia Abu Sneineh, succeeded in publishing a neuroscience research paper in an academic journal. Three other students from the same school, Mohammed Bdeir, Jana Qutub, and Maher El-Shawa, published scientific critiques of research in various fields in the same journal. How does this achievement make you feel?

MQ: It fills me with immense joy and pride to see these students, grounded in the principles of scientific research, emerging from Jerusalem to achieve a distinguished accomplishment as pioneers in this field in the Middle East.

JS: How did the first three students become qualified to contribute to a research paper? Is it easy for students of their age to undertake such an experience?

MQ: They became qualified to take part in drafting a neuroscience research paper thanks to the intensive and comprehensive education they received in the theoretical foundations of scientific research, in addition to continuous assessment throughout the program. This approach allows them to progress steadily and refine their skills with the assistance of specialized training teams dedicated to providing the best possible education.

Regarding the difficulty of the experience for their age group, it is certainly a major challenge and can be psychologically demanding, especially since it is their first real attempt at publishing a scientific achievement in a reputable journal. Nevertheless, Neuro-Pal provides full support and continuous guidance, which makes the experience—despite its challenges—manageable and clear for the students, while helping them build self-confidence and enhancing their ability to face future research challenges.

JS: What was their role in the two papers, and where were they published?

MQ: The students were involved in understanding scientific research, extracting results and information, analyzing them methodologically, and then writing the content in simplified scientific language suitable for younger audiences. This is the core mission of the journal Frontiers for Young Minds, which presents scientific research based on the latest findings and discoveries across various fields, while making it accessible to children and youth—thus bringing science closer to this age group.

It is worth noting that the first paper the students contributed to was titled, “How Lavender Oil Can Help Protect Your Brain,” while the other paper, published in the same journal, was titled “A Vitamin-Like Substance That Protects Brain Cell Connections.”

JS: What is your wish for the children of Jerusalem? Where do you hope to take them, and which students do you aim to welcome into the ToBe research skills program at the Neuro-Pal Center?

MQ: I hope that all of Jerusalem’s children will have the ability to learn and to obtain scientific research opportunities—regardless of their circumstances—and that they will be able to develop their scientific and practical skills from a young age.