Health Systems Innovation Lab - HSIL Hackathon 2026

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Health Systems Innovation Lab - HSIL Hackathon 2026

Building High-Value Health Systems: Leveraging AI

Welcoming all Hackers!

Hosted at the American University of Beirut (AUB) by the Knowledge to Policy (K2P) Center, in collaboration with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The 7th edition of the Health Systems Innovation Lab (HSIL) Hackathon is officially underway.
As the world’s largest health systems–focused hackathon, HSIL brings together innovators, students, researchers, clinicians, engineers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to co-create AI-powered solutions addressing pressing health system challenges.

The Health Systems Innovation Lab (HSIL) is a global initiative spanning 40+ hubs across more than 35 countries. It aims to catalyze innovation in health systems by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-informed design.

Over two intensive days, teams are developing practical, scalable, and context-driven innovations designed to strengthen health systems and generate real-world impact.

Participants are working on solutions that:

Address real health system gaps
Demonstrate feasibility within Lebanon’s context
Offer potential for scalability and sustainability
Apply AI in a practical and appropriate manner

Meet the Mentors of HSIL Hackathon 2026

This year’s participants are guided by distinguished experts from academia, medicine, policy, and innovation.

	Dr. Yousif Asfour Chief Innovation & Transformation Officer and CIO – American University of Beirut Dr. Asfour leads enterprise technology and digital transformation at AUB, overseeing the consolidated Office of Information Technology for both AUB and AUB Medical Center. He is also Executive Director of the Talal and Madiha Zein AUB Innovation Park and contributed to the establishment of AUB Online. He has played a national leadership role in advancing Lebanon’s technology ecosystem, including initiatives such as TechCARE, the Lebanese National Research and Education Network (NREN), and HPC4L. He holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive and Neural Systems from Boston University and is co-author of From Geek to Lead: A Techie’s Guide to Leadership.
	Dr. Amer Abdo Mouawwad Assistant Professor, Computer Science – AUB Dr. Mouawwad specializes in algorithm design, graph theory, computational complexity, and machine learning. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo and has held research positions in Norway, Germany, and Canada. His expertise supports the development of efficient, scalable AI solutions.
	Nicole Hazzam Software & Data Engineer \| AI Specialist Nicole is a software and data engineer with a Master’s in Software Engineering. She has architected data solutions for Google Partners across North America and the MENA region. Founder of Input the Output and an Authorized PMI Trainer, she helps translate AI strategy into practical, high-impact implementation.
	Dr. Rihab Nasr Tenured Professor, Faculty of Medicine – AUB Dr. Nasr is a cancer researcher and Director of the Basic Research Core Facilities and the Pediatric Oncology East and Mediterranean Central Office at AUB. She has published over 95 peer-reviewed articles and founded AMALOUNA, an initiative focused on cancer education, research, and prevention.
	Dr. Salem Hannoun Assistant Professor, Medical Imaging Sciences – AUB Dr. Hannoun specializes in advanced MRI and quantitative neuroimaging, with a focus on multiple sclerosis, brain aging, and neurodegenerative diseases. He actively contributes to international research collaborations in medical imaging.
	Dr. Jawad Alami Professor, Industrial Engineering & Management – AUB Dr. Alami’s research focuses on Human–AI Interaction, Explainable AI (XAI), and user-centered design in healthcare and other high-stakes environments. He leads research on trust and decision-making in AI-augmented systems.