Dr. Samar Noureddine
Health Behaviors and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
Dr. Noureddine's research focuses on understanding the behavioral and psychosocial factors that influence cardiovascular health and illness in adults. Her work investigates how lifestyle behaviors such as diet, smoking, and physical activity shape cardiovascular risk profiles and long-term health outcomes. By examining knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to heart disease prevention, her research contributes to the development of strategies aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles and reducing cardiovascular risk in diverse populations.
A significant component of Dr. Noureddine's research has examined cardiopulmonary resuscitation practices and public response to cardiac emergencies outside the hospital setting. Through collaborative work with the Vascular Medicine Program at AUB, she studied the practices and challenges experienced by healthcare providers and community members during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest events. The findings from this work contributed to national policy change and informed the development of Lebanon's Good Samaritan Law, which provides legal protection for individuals who assist in medical emergencies.
Her research also includes psychometric studies validating measurement instruments used in cardiovascular and behavioral research, focusing on constructs such as illness perception, pain, self-care, and quality of life. Through these efforts, Dr. Noureddine contributes to strengthening the methodological rigor of clinical research and to advancing preventive strategies for cardiovascular disease.
For more information, please visit Samar Noureddine's Research page
Dr. Tamar Avedissian
A- Supporting Parents of Critically Ill Children
Building on Dr. Avedissian's broader research focus on parenting behaviors and their impact on child development and family outcomes, this study entitled “The Effect of a Psychoeducational Program on Parental Stress, Uncertainty, and Parent–Nurse Relationship in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit" examines the impact of a family-centered psychoeducational program on parental stress, uncertainty, and the parent–nurse relationship in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The admission of a child to the PICU is an overwhelming experience for parents, marked by emotional distress, uncertainty, and the challenges of navigating a highly technical and fast-paced care environment. These stressors are often intensified by limited communication and insufficient support from healthcare providers, despite the growing emphasis on family-centered care in pediatric practice.
By strengthening collaboration between parents and nurses, the project aims to reduce parental stress and uncertainty while promoting a more supportive and responsive PICU care experience. (Status: data collection in progress; Funder: URB; Investigators: Tamar Avedissian, Houry Nazaretian, Angela Massouh, Marianne Majdalani, Sarine Agopian).
B – Parenting and Child Development in Chronic Illness
Consistent with Dr. Avedissian's research interest in the relationship between parenting, caregiving environments, and child development, this study explores how displacement and crisis situations affect developmental and nutritional outcomes among young children living in humanitarian settings.
Forced displacement has risen sharply worldwide, with children comprising nearly half of affected populations and facing heightened risks to their health and development. In Lebanon, the 2024 conflict resulted in widespread internal displacement, forcing families to reside in collective shelters with limited services and poor living conditions—conditions that place young children at increased risk of malnutrition and developmental delays. Despite the existence of effective international interventions for early childhood development and nutrition in emergency settings, evidence on displaced children's development in Lebanon remains scarce. This study entitled “Exploring Early Childhood Development and Nutrition Initiatives in Collective Shelters for Displaced Children in Lebanon" by lead by Dr. Avedissian aimed to examine national policies, guidelines, and guidance notes related to nutrition and early childhood development for children under five during crises and evaluates the ECD and nutrition programs implemented during the recent conflict. It further assesses their alignment with international Nutrition in Emergencies standards and analyzes their effectiveness to identify gaps, strengths, and areas for improvement. By analyzing and evaluating existing initiatives, the research findings have the potential to inform future interventions, ensuring they address the needs of children particularly in conflict-affected areas. (Status: data analysis; Funder: Stimulus Funding for Research on the Ongoing War on Lebanon by the Office of Research at the American University of Beirut ; Investigators: Tamar Avedissian, Lara Nasreddine, Krystel Ouaijan, Lamis Jomaa, Silva Dakessian Sailian).
For more information, please visit Tamar Avedissian's Research page
Dr. Lina Badr
Premature Infants, NICU Interventions, and Early Child Neurodevelopment
Dr. Lina Kurdahi Badr's research focuses on the health, development, and long-term outcomes of premature and high-risk infants, with a strong emphasis on early neurodevelopment and evidence-based interventions in neonatal intensive care settings. A central component of her work examines how prematurity and NICU environmental factors affect infant brain development, physiological stability, stress responses, and motor and cognitive developmental trajectories during early childhood. Importantly, her research includes randomized controlled trials (RCTs), along with quasi-experimental and longitudinal cohort designs, to evaluate the effectiveness of NICU-based developmental care interventions. These interventions often involve sensory regulation strategies, family-centered care approaches, and maternal-infant interaction support, aimed at reducing procedural stress and improving neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants. Across her body of work, she integrates neonatal nursing science and clinical research methodologies to translate evidence into practice, with the goal of improving both short-term physiological stability and long-term developmental outcomes for vulnerable newborn populations.
For more information, please visit Lina Kurdahi-Badr 's Research page
Dr. Silva Dakessian
Sailian
I. Palliative Care in Humanitarian, Conflict, and Resource-Limited Settings
Dr. Silva Dakessian Sailian's research focuses on understanding and advancing palliative care delivery in humanitarian crises, conflict-affected settings, and low-resource environments. Her work examines how healthcare professionals, patients, and families navigate serious illness and end-of-life care amid social, political, and healthcare system disruptions.
Current and recent studies within this research program include:
- Providing Palliative Care in Times of Conflict
This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals delivering palliative care during periods of conflict, insecurity, and healthcare system disruption. Through in-depth interviews, the study examines challenges, ethical tensions, adaptive practices, and sources of resilience among providers. Findings highlight how palliative care principles are maintained and adapted in conflict settings. This work seeks to generate evidence that informs clinical practice, workforce preparedness, policy development, and the integration of palliative care into humanitarian and emergency response frameworks.
Status: Manuscript submitted to BMC Palliative Care Journal in May 2026
Funding: AUB University Research Board (URB) Grant
Principal Investigator: Dr. Silva Dakessian Sailian
Co-Investigators: Dr. Rana Yamout, Ms. Janane Hanna, Mr. Omar Chouman
- Ethical Challenges of Conducting Research During Conflict
This ongoing qualitative study explores the ethical dilemmas and methodological challenges researchers face when conducting studies during humanitarian crises and armed conflict. The project examines issues related to participant vulnerability, researcher safety, research relevance, alternative methods of data collection, and ethical decision-making in unstable environments.
Status: Manuscript write-up
Principal Investigator: Dr. Judy Makhoul
Collaborators: Dr. Silva Dakessian Sailian, Dr. Tania Bosque, and the research team
II. Dignity, Communication, and Decision-Making in Palliative and End-of-Life Care
Dr. Silva Dakessian Sailian's second research program focuses on the relational and cultural dimensions of palliative and end-of-life care. Her work seeks to understand how patients, families, and healthcare professionals preserve dignity, communicate about difficult decisions, and make choices regarding end-of-life care. This integrative review, conducted using a systematic methodology, addresses the intersection of culture, family dynamics, patient preferences, information sharing, and healthcare providers' stance towards decision-making at the end of life.
Central to this program is the recognition that experiences of illness, dignity, and decision-making are shaped by cultural values and social relationships. Dr. Sailian's work contributes to the development of culturally sensitive frameworks that can guide clinical practice, education, and policy in diverse settings, particularly within the Middle East and other collectivist societies.
Current and recent studies within this research program include:
- Decision-Making at the End of Life in Collectivist Societies: An Integrative Review
This integrative review synthesizes evidence on end-of-life decision-making practices in collectivist cultures. The review demonstrates that decision-making often occurs along a continuum ranging from passive to shared and active participation. Findings led to the development of a relational decision-making framework that emphasizes culturally embedded interactions among patients, families, and healthcare professionals.
Status: Manuscript under review at BMC Palliative Care Journal
Lead Author: Dr. Silva Dakessian Sailian
Collaborators: Dr. Robert Crupi, Cynthia Pan, Farah Demachkieh, Deniz Gümeş.
III. Future Research
National Consensus on Palliative Care Nursing Competencies in Lebanon
As an extension of her work in palliative care education and quality improvement at the national level, Dr. Sailian is leading the development of a national competency framework for palliative care nursing through a Delphi consensus process. The project aims to establish evidence-based competencies to guide nursing education, practice, and policy in Lebanon.
Status: Planning phase
Lead Investigator: Dr. Silva Dakessian Sailian
Collaborators: Lebanese Association of Palliative Care Nurses and Order of Nurses in Lebanon
Dr. Souha Fares
Beat-to-Beat
Blood Pressure Variability as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Risk
Dr. Fares' research focuses on the analysis of beat-to-beat blood pressure variability (BPV) as a window into cardiovascular regulation and autonomic function. Beat-to-beat measurements capture the dynamic fluctuations in blood pressure that occur with each cardiac cycle, providing insights that cannot be obtained from conventional intermittent blood pressure measurements. By analyzing these high-resolution physiological signals, her work aims to better understand the underlying regulatory mechanisms of the cardiovascular system and how these mechanisms change in the presence of disease.
A central component of Dr. Fares' research involves applying advanced analytical approaches, including complexity analysis and detrended fluctuation analysis methods, to characterize patterns of variability in beat-to-beat blood pressure data that conventional variability measures fail to detect. Her work has examined these physiological dynamics across different contexts, including studies involving healthy individuals, patients undergoing bariatric surgery, and experimental animal models such as rats. These studies aim to better understand how cardiovascular regulation adapts across physiological and pathological conditions.
Dr. Fares is currently expanding this research to explore the potential of beat-to-beat blood pressure variability as a biomarker capable of discriminating between healthy individuals and patients with various disease conditions across multiple populations. This work increasingly integrates artificial intelligence and machine learning methods to identify predictive patterns in physiological signals and to improve early detection and risk stratification. Through this interdisciplinary approach, Dr. Fares aims to contribute to the development of more precise, data-driven tools for cardiovascular assessment and clinical decision-making.
For more information, please visit Souha Fares Research page
Dr. Marina Gharibian
Quality of Life in Nursing Homes
Dr. Gharibian's research focuses on improving the quality of life of older adults living in nursing homes. Her work examines how the physical, social, and organizational environments of long-term care institutions influence residents' health and well-being.
Her studies also explore innovative non-pharmacological interventions—such as horticultural therapy—to enhance engagement in meaningful activities and reduce aggressive behavioral symptoms among residents with dementia.
For more information, please visit Marina Gharibian's Research page
Dr. Angela Massouh
Compassion Fatigue among Critical Care Professionals
Dr. Massouh and PhD Candidate Mr. Mohamad Al Nakhal are leading a national study titled “Compassion Fatigue and Interprofessional Communication among Lebanese Critical Care Nurses and Physicians," funded by the University Research Board (URB) at the American University of Beirut. The study examines the psychological and organizational factors shaping the well-being and collaborative practice of critical care professionals across Lebanon.
In the context of prolonged sociopolitical and economic instability, critical care nurses and physicians face heightened risks of emotional exhaustion and occupational strain. This pioneering national study is the first in Lebanon to assess the prevalence of compassion fatigue—conceptualized as the intersection of burnout and secondary traumatic stress—among both nurses and physicians, and the first in the literature to explore its association with interprofessional communication in high-acuity settings.
Using validated instruments, the study evaluates compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, healthy work environments, and communication patterns. By generating national-level evidence, the project aims to identify modifiable organizational and relational factors that can strengthen teamwork, improve workforce sustainability, and inform evidence-based interventions. The findings will also guide a subsequent qualitative phase to deepen understanding and validate quantitative results.
Status: Data Analysis
Funder: University Research Board (URB), American University of Beirut
Principal Investigator: Dr. Angela Massouh
Doctoral Researcher: Mohamad Nakhal
For more information, please visit Angela Massouh's Research page
Dr. Ola Sukkarieh
Diabetes Self-Management and Digital Health
Dr. Sukkarieh's research centers on improving self-management practices among individuals living with diabetes. Her work investigates how social determinants of health, cultural beliefs, and psychological factors influence diabetes management behaviors and treatment adherence.
Building on this focus, Dr. Sukkarieh examines innovative, technology-enabled approaches to chronic disease management. Her research includes a mixed-methods study on the acceptability of using mobile health (mHealth) for diabetes self-management in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings, exploring how digital tools can support patient engagement, education, and adherence to treatment.
In addition to her work on patient-centered care, Dr. Sukkarieh has expanded her research to address challenges in nursing education and system resilience. Her work on nurse educators' responses in Lebanon explores their roles in maintaining academic continuity, particularly in times of disruption, highlighting strategies for sustaining quality education and supporting the future nursing workforce.
For more information, please visit Ola Sukkarieh's Research page