Our Team
Clinical Research Unit Director: Samer Kabbani, MD
Dr Samer Kabbani graduated from the American University of Beirut College of Medicine in 1994. He then moved to the Cleveland clinic foundation, USA for his internal medicine residence then to the University of Vermont for his cardiology and interventional cardiology training.
Dr Kabbani was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Vermont and Ohio State University. He is currently an associate professor of medicine at the Lebanese American University.
Dr Kabbani is board certified in internal medicine, cardiology and interventional cardiology.
He was the Principal Investigator in a large number of clinical trials including phase II, phase III, and phase IV. He has a large number of publications in peer reviewed journals and several book chapters. Dr Kabbani has a wide experience in clinical trials and in the management of Clinical Research Unit.He is currently the director of the Clinical Research Unit at Rafic Hariri University Hospital.
Clinical Research Unit Administrator/ IRB Coordinator: Sanan Sdepanian
Sanan has several diplomas in the field of Social Sciences and completed her Masters degree in Psychology. Following a job opportunity in RHUH, she started with the launching of the Clinical Research Unit in June 2008. Every day she has an exciting day in the CRU. She has full responsibility to coordinate between departments, organizations and people. She takes on the role of CRU administrator and IRB coordinator. Her time is completely dedicated to the CRU. She always work for the vision of expanding the CRU, by supporting Investigator-Initiated studies, coordinating Industrial studies with international organizations in RHUH, working hard for its growth by applying efficiently the administrative skills and eventually giving her utmost for its development. Her philosophy in the CRU is always based on the ethics of respect of persons, beneficence and justice.Finally, with her multicultural background, she speaks 5 languages. She plays the cello and when her time permits, she participates in concerts.
Clinical Research Unit Pharmacist /Quality and Research Coordinator: Abir Sinno
Abir is a registered pharmacist ,graduated from Lebanese American university in 2007.She was a teaching assistant in the Lebanese American University Learning Center for three years .She worked as a hospital pharmacist in Saudi Aramco and in Rafik Hariri university Hospital. She has experience as a community pharmacist since 2007 ,and experience in clinical research at RHUH since 2009. She works as a pharmacist in the unit for outpatients as well as quality coordinator(developing the unit SOP's and all quality related duties) and research coordinator in national and international studies . In addition, she performs medical writing services for investigator initiated studies. She is also a research associate in some investigator initiated studies. Abir is an IRB member who serves the board with her pharmacy and research expertise.
Clinical Research Unit Nurse /Research Coordinator: Lina Atwi
Lina had her bachelor in nursing sciences from the Lebanese university in 1997,then completed her master degree in hospital management in 2010.She worked as a registered nurse in Mount Lebanon Hospital ( Gharios Medical Center) and Baabda Governmental University Hospital - General Surgery Department from march 1999 till may 2002.Then lina became a Clinical Nursing Supervisor in December 2002.In may 2005 lina moved to Rafik Hariri University Hospital- General Surgery Department to become a nurse manager. And in December 2012, she transferred to the clinical research unit as a nurse research coordinator. Lina was also an Instructor in Lebanese Red Cross ,Nursing Sciences section from 1998 till 2003.
Clinical Research Unit Nurse /Research Coordinator: Pauline Raad
Pauline had her bachelor in nursing from the Lebanese University in 2002,then completed her masters in hospital management in 2008.She worked as an intensive care unit nurse in the Lebanese Canadian hospital from 2002 till 2006.Then in 2006 she moved to Rafik Hariri University hospital to become an Intensive care unit Nursing supervisor. In 2014 she transferred to the clinical research unit as a nurse research coordinator.
Institutional Review Board:
Chairman of the Institutional Review Board: Dr Iyad Issa
Iyad ISSA graduated with an MD from the American University of Beirut in 1995 and proceeded to a diploma in Internal Medicine and then later Gastroenterology at AUB Medical Center. He has been practicing as the head of division of Gastroenterology at Rafik Hariri University Hospital since 2005, in addition to being a consultant at Clemenceau Medical Center and a visiting consultant at Advanced Cure Diagnostic Center (Abu Dhabi). He has an academic position as an adjunct faculty to the school of medicine at the Lebanese University and as a founding faculty member of the school of medicine of the Lebanese American University. He is currently licensed as a consultant in Lebanon as well as UAE and member of the executive committee of the Lebanese Society of Gastroenterology since 2012. He has also served on the pharmacy committee in the Lebanese ministry of health for one year from 2012 until 2013. He is also member of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American Gastroenterological Association. Dr. ISSA has authored / co-authored more than 12 papers over the past 5 years, published in high impact international journals in the field of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He is also a designated reviewer and member of the editorial board on several peer-reviewed journals. His main fields of interest / research are viral hepatitis, GI bleed and inflammatory bowel disease, which was the subject of his last book chapter published in 2012. Dr ISSA has GCP training and CITI certification and is serving as chairman of the institutional review board.
