The Office of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education and the Clinical Research Institute (CRI) at the Faculty of Medicine held the Award Ceremony of the 13th Annual Clinical Research Open House on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at Issam Fares Hall, at the American University of Beirut (AUB).
The award ceremony opened with remarks delivered by Dr. Fadlo Khuri, AUB president, who emphasized that “clinical research continuity in times of crisis is not merely an operational achievement but also a moral commitment. It says to patients: your illness does not pause because the world around us is unstable. " This was followed by remarks from Dr. Raymond Sawaya, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Faculty of Medicine at AUB, who expressed his appreciation for the event, extended his congratulations to all participants and mentors, and commended the CRI team for their continued efforts in advancing research excellence and strengthening the institutional research culture.
During the ceremony, a special recognition award was presented to Dr. Ali Abu Alfa, a former director of the CRI, the Human Research Protection Program (HRRP), and the Institutional Review Board (IRB). This award acknowledges Dr. Abu Alfa's valuable contributions and continued support to the CRI and clinical research over the years.
Dr. Marlene Chakhtoura, the director of the CRI, noted that this event has become an annual tradition celebrating the research achievements of students, residents, and fellows. She outlined the year-round activities, trainings, and support provided by the CRI through its dedicated units and capacity-building programs. She also emphasized the CRI's ongoing efforts to strengthen research collaboration and sustain research activities within the Faculty of Medicine and across AUB. Dr. Chakhtoura briefed that this year departmental mini open events were held between March 31, 2026, and May 7, 2026; 82 graduating residents and 22 clinical fellows participated in the competition within their respective departments. Following the departmental mini open house events, 19 residents and 8 clinical fellows were selected as top candidates to advance to the institutional-level competition. She also highlighted that a standardized scoring process was subsequently applied to ensure a fair evaluation, leading to the selection of three resident award winners and one clinical fellow award winner.
Dr. Hani Tamim, the director of the Fellowship and Residency Research Program (FRRP), provided an overview of the FRRP activities over the past year and acknowledged the efforts of the FRRP faculty representatives for their continued follow-up with participants to ensure completion of program requirements.
During this year's award ceremony, FRRP faculty representatives from three major clinical departments were selected to present. The selection was based on the departments' year of establishment and overall level of activity within the program. Dr. Hisham Bou Fakhreddine, FRRP faculty representative from the department of internal medicine; Dr. Jumana Antoun, FRRP faculty representative from the department of family medicine; and Dr. Ghassan Dbaibo, FRRP faculty representative from the department of pediatrics and adolescent medicine, presented updates on FRRP activities within their respective departments. Their presentations highlighted the achievements of FRRP residents and fellows, along with key outcomes such as publication rates and success stories. FRRP representatives from other departments will be invited to present in the coming years.
Dr. Martine Elbejjani, the director of the Faculty Advancement Program (FAP), presented the 2025-2026 FAP program overview and announced that, as of next year, the program will be directed by Dr. Elias Ghousoub. Dr. Elbejjani summarized the Scholarly Concentration Track (SCT) activities conducted throughout the year and highlighted that the 5th Annual SCT research day held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, during which 20 medical students showcased their research projects, reflecting their scholarly achievements and contributions to medical research.
All speakers acknowledged the sustained growth and increasing impact of research efforts at AUB, as well as their commitment to research excellence. The ceremony concluded with the distribution of Diana Tamari Sabbagh Scholars Program (DTSSP) awards, awards to the top-scoring participants in each of the CRI's programs, and appreciation awards recognizing mentors and faculty members who have made significant contributions to CRI programs.
DTSSP Awards for Top Presentations:
The Diana Tamari Sabbagh Scholars Program (DTSSP) aims to promote excellence by enhancing the education and expertise of healthcare and health-related professionals through support of specialized training at AUB or abroad. A total of four DTSSP awards were granted, recognizing outstanding achievements by the following participants:
- Two SCT students:
- Joe Youssef, medical student—basic science—SCT program
Advisor: Dr. Wassim Abou Kheir
Project title: “When Less is Better Than More: Androgen Receptor Expression in Urothelial Carcinoma Predicts Poor Survival."
- Ryan Dib Nehme, medical student—clinical research—SCT program
Advisor: Dr. Fouad Zouein
Project title: “Long-Term Outcome Differences in Early versus Late Fontan Groups: A Systematic Review"
- One clinical resident for best oral presentation:
- Dr. Cynthia Habib, resident at the department of emergency medicine—FRRP program
Advisor: Dr. Mohamad Kanso and Dr. Afif Mufarrij
Project title: “Association of Venous Lactate Levels with Surgical Intervention in Polytrauma Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department"
- One research fellow for best oral presentation
- Dr. Charline Melhem Najem, research resident at the department of pharmacy—RPP program
Advisor: Dr. Rony Zeenny
Project title: “Evaluation of oral anticoagulant prescribing practices at a tertiary care academic medical center: a retrospective study."
Program Awards for Top Presentations:
Scholarly Concentration Track (SCT):
- Omar Shmoury, medical student—basic science track
Advisor: Dr. Rose-Mary Boustany
Project title: “A Flupirtine Benzyl Carbamate Improves Neurocognitive Deficits and Molecular Pathology in the CLN6nclf Mouse"
- Ziad Kaddour, medical student—clinical research track
Advisor: Dr. Ramzi Sabra
Project title: “Recognition and Recall in Assessment: Do Very Short Answer Questions Better Capture Knowledge Retention Than Multiple-Choice Questions?"
Research Personnel Program (RPP) and the Postdoctoral Program:
- Dr. Ibrahim Hasan Hasan, research fellow at the department of internal medicine
Mentor: Dr. Marwan M. Refaat
Project title: “Comparative outcomes of pulsed-field ablation versus thermal ablation for atrial fibrillation at a tertiary care center in a developing country."
- Dr. Joseph Elie Hawly, postdoctoral research fellow at the department of neurology
Mentor: Dr. Ahmad Beydoun and Dr. Wassim Nasreddine
Project title: “Juvenile absence epilepsy: treatment efficacy and the feasibility of treatment withdrawal."
Fellowship and Residency Research Program (FRRP):
FRRP Residents' Winning Presentations:
- Dr. Sarah Kawtharani, resident at the department of surgery
Mentor: Dr. Houssein Darwish
Project title: “Impact of Re-operation on Progression-Free Survival in Patients with Recurrent GBM: Experience in a Tertiary Referral Center"
- Dr. Mohammed Amr Knifaty, resident at the department of pediatrics and adolescent medicine
Mentor: Dr. Lama Charafeddine
Project title: “Parental Knowledge and Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in Pediatric Inpatient Care: A Cross-Sectional Study from the MENA Region"
FRRP Fellows' Winning Presentation:
- Dr. Joe Younes, clinical fellow at the department of internal medicine
Mentor: Dr. Fadi Sawaya
Project title: “Assessment of Left Ventricular Global Longitudinal Strain Improvement Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement"
Best Research Proposals Developed Under the Faculty Advancement Program (FAP):
- 1st Prize: Dr. Lina El Taha, department of obstetrics and gynecology medicine
Mentor: Dr. Rima Kaddoura
Project title: “Use of clomiphene citrate for ovulation suppression during controlled ovarian stimulation in women with diminished ovarian reserve: a randomized clinical trial."
- 2nd Prize: Dr. Maher Abdessater, department of surgery
Mentor: Dr. Rami Mahfouz
Project title: “Convolutional neural network for CT-based kidney stone detection and needle trajectory mapping in percutaneous nephrolithotomy." - 3rd Prize: Dr. Stephanie Fellas—Department of obstetrics and gynecology medicine
Mentor: Dr. Rima Kaddoura
Project title: “Lower uterine segment thickness at 36–35 weeks as a predictor of uterine scar dehiscence in women with prior cesarean sections."
Appreciation awards were distributed to:
- Dr. Margret Shirinian, RPP contributing faculty, department of experimental pathology, immunology, and microbiology, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the RPP.
- Dr. Mazen Kurban, FRRP faculty representative, department of dermatology, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the FRRP.
- Dr. Eman Sbaity, FRRP faculty representative, department of surgery, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the FRRP.
- Dr. Zeina Kanafani, FAP mentor, department of internal medicine, in recognition of her outstanding contribution as an advisor in the FAP.
- Dr. Rami Mahfouz, FAP mentor, department of pathology and laboratory medicine, in recognition of his outstanding contribution as an advisor in FAP.