Under the patronage of the minister of public health (MoPH) in Lebanon, Dr. Rakan Nasserldine,
the 8 Lebanese medical schools hosted the Third National Research Day (NRD) event on Saturday,
May 30, 2026, from 8:00 am till 3:00 pm at the Lebanese University—Pierre Gemayel Campus in
Fanar.
This yearly event has marked a milestone in medical research collaboration in Lebanon since it is
a joint effort by eight medical schools in Lebanon, including the American University of Beirut
(AUB), Beirut Arab University (BAU), Lebanese American University (LAU), Lebanese
University (LU), Saint George University of Beirut (SGUB), University of Balamand (UoB), Holy
Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), and Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ).
Key Lebanese officials participated in the event, including Dr. Rakan Nasserldine, minister of public health; Dr. Assaad Eid, president of the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS);
and Dr. Bassam Badran, president of the Lebanese University (LU).
AUB leadership was represented by Dr. Raymond Sawaya, vice president for medical affairs and
Raja N. Khuri dean of medicine; Dr. Elie Akl, vice provost for research, Dr. Marlene Chakhtoura,
director of the Clinical Research Institute (CRI), and Dr. Margret Shirinian, director of the
INStitute of Preclinical Innovation and REsearch (INSPIRE).
Over 800 attendees participated in the event, including faculty members from various universities,
mentors, medical students, staff, and others. Initially, 545 abstracts were submitted for
consideration. More than 150 abstract reviewers from all medical schools assessed each
submission in duplicate and independently. In total, 266 abstracts from all participating universities
were accepted for presentation at the event, including 68 oral presentations and 198 poster
presentations.
AUB medical students, residents, and clinical fellows submitted a total of 118 abstracts. Following
the review process, 68 AUB abstracts were accepted, of which 20 were selected for oral
presentation and 48 for poster presentation.
Faculty members from AUB, together with colleagues from other universities, contributed to the
abstract review process.
We extend a special thank you to the abstract reviewers listed below:
- Dr. Sarah Abdul-Nabi
- Dr. Lara Hilal
- Dr. Antoine Abou Fayad
- Dr. Athar Khalil
- Dr. Larry Bodgi
- Dr. Nisrine Makarem
- Dr. Hisham Bou Fakhreddine
- Dr. Mira Merashli
- Ms. Lama Bou Karroum
- Dr. Houry Puzanian
- Dr. Stéphanie Eid
- Dr. Elias Rahal
- Dr. Hiba El Hajj
- Dr. Esber Saba
- Dr. Riyad El-Khoury
- Dr. Jihane Soueid
- Dr. Nahed El-Najjar
- Dr. Ola Sukkarieh
During the event, more than 130 jury members were selected from different universities to serve
as judges. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all AUB faculty members listed below
for their valuable contribution to the success of this event.
Judges for oral presentations: Dr. Abdallah Adra - Dr. Hazem Assi - Dr. Hassan Doumiati - Dr. Ali Ismaei l-
Dr. Eman Sbaity
Judges for poster presentations: Dr. Maher Abdessater - Dr. Asma Arabi - Dr. Georges Assaf - Dr. Raphah Borghol - Dr. Christelle Dagher - Dr. Martine Elbejjani - Dr. Rita Khoury - Dr. Michel Massaad - Dr. Nour Moukalled - Dr. Houry Puzanian - Dr. Marwan Refaat - Dr. Jihane Soueid - Dr. Riyadh El Khoury -
Dr. Stephanie Eid - Dr. Athar Khalil - Dr. Ola Sukkarieh - Dr. Hani Tamim
NRD concluded with an award ceremony to honor the highest-scoring presentations, recognizing
excellent research projects both across institutions and within them. A total of 21 awards were
distributed.
A special congratulations to the seven AUB award recipients for their outstanding achievements
and well-deserved recognition:
• Reine Obeid, medical student: 1st Prize - Best oral presentation - Medical education and
simulation category
• Aya Yatim, medical student: 1st Prize - Best oral presentation - Clinical Research category
• Dima Bsat, medical student : 2nd Prize - Best oral presentation - Clinical Research category
• Dr. Najlaa Hamadeh, clinical fellow at the division of endocrinology and metabolism -
department of internal medicine: 3rd Prize - Best oral presentation- Clinical Research
category
• Dr. Mona Kassem, clinical fellow at the department of pediatrics and adolescent medicine:
1
st Prize - Best poster presentation
• Firas Rammal, medical student: 4th Prize - Best poster presentation
• Dr. Mohamad Itani, resident at the department of internal medicine - Best Research Award
at AUB