ABOUT US
History
The Clinical Research Institute (CRI) was established in 2010 to provide the required infrastructure to support and promote innovative clinical research and collaborative activities at the Faculty of Medicine (FM) and AUBMC, thus leading to discoveries, advancement of clinical practice and improvement in patient care outcomes.
The CRI offers a wide range of services to investigators through its various units, programs and center. CRI has four units (Biostatistics Unit (BSU), Clinical Epidemiology Unit (CEU), Clinical Research Unit (CRU), and Research Education Unit (REU)) and one center (AUB GRADE Center). CRI also offers five research education programs: Faculty Advancement Program in Clinical Research (FAP), Fellowship and Residency Research Program (FRRP), Medical Research Volunteer Program (MRVP), Nursing Advancement Program (NAP), Research Personnel program (RPP).
Visit the CRI’s webpage at:
https://www.aub.edu.lb/fm/CRI/Pages/default.aspx
Mission
The mission of the CRI is to improve patient care and health through innovative clinical and translational research. The CRI provides clinical investigators with research support and infrastructure, as well as education and training.
Vision
The vision of the CRI is to enable the Faculty of Medicine to achieve regional leadership for clinical and translational research. The CRI will become a leading regional resource in clinical and translational research
FACULTY & STAFF
Led by Dr. Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan, SHARP is an interfaculty collaborative effort involving co-investigators from the Faculty of Medicine (FM), Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS), and Hariri School of Nursing (HSON).
SHARP Executive Committee:
• Ghada El Hajj Fuleihan
• Robert Habib
• Abla Sibai
• Huda Huijer
Members of the local Training Advisory Group (TAG):
• Kamal Badr
• Ali Abu-Alfa
• Rabih Talhouk
External US TAG Group:
• Gordon Williams, Harvard Medical School
• Ellen Seely, Harvard Medical School
• Fran Cook, Harvard School of Public Health
Faculty Members Serving as Mentors and/or Teachers in SHARP:
From FM:
• Elie Akl
• Thalia Arawi
• Mona Nabulsi
• Rami Mahfouz
• Hani Tamim
• Marlene Chakhtoura
• Ms. Laila Al Shaar
From FHS:
• Monique Chaaya
• Lilian Ghandour
From HSON:
• Souha Fares
From Weil Cornell Qatar:
• Ziyad Mahfoud
• May Al Kassar
Staff
• Rima Kaddoura, Program Coordinator
• Ali Hammoudi, IT, Moodle and Webmaste
PROGRAM CURRICULUM
SHARP SUMMER CERTIFICATE
SHARP provides the fundamental skills in the essential disciplinesto conduct reasearch, namely epidemiology, biostatistics, research ethics, library sciences/informatics, and involves hands-on training in the analysis and reporting of large health related datasets in Non-Communicable Diseases.
The 7 weeks, June-July, summer certificate program
- Offers in-depth skills in quantitative research methods (12 credits)
- Is taught by pioneering faculty teaching research conduct at AUB
- Allows the option to continue in established master degrees at various faculties at AUB, or the novel 40 credits SHARP MS degree.
SHARP MASTER OF SCIENCES
Course Description
The SHARP master degree is a natural continuation of the summer certificate program. It builds on the foundations/credits acquired in the summer certificate program, which are pre-requisites and constitute an inherent part of the master degree. It adds additional required courses, electives, the longitudinal Seminar Series, and the thesis.
After completing the SHARP Summer Certificate, students will complete the degree requirements that include additional required core courses, the Longitudinal Seminar Series, and a mentored NCD research project culminating in a thesis. In compliance with AUB requirements, students will also sit for a zero credit comprehensive exam (pass/fail) course in their last semester. The Master’s program can be completed in one to two years.
The total number of allowable credits per semester is 16 credits/semester unless otherwise approved by the Graduate Committee Studies.
Requirements
SHARP will be abiding by General University Academic Information (http://www.aub.edu.lb/registrar/Documents/catalogue/graduate17-18/general-university.pdf), in which to be eligible for graduation with a Master’s degree from the American University of Beirut, a graduate student:
- must have attained a cumulative course average of 80 or above.
- is not placed on probation by the time the course work is completed.
- must have completed the minimum credit hours of course work designated by the specific program.
- must have passed comprehensive exam.
- must have completed thesis requirements for thesis option degrees.
- must have completed project requirements for the non-thesis option degrees.
- must have met the residence requirements specified for the Master’s degree.
FACULTY AND STUDENTS' AWARDS
2017
- Dr. Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan is selected as a recipient of the 2017 Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health Award of Merit, to be awarded at the Alumni annual meeting that will take place on Saturday October 14th, at Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA. The Award of Merit is the highest School honor recognizing the extraordinary achievements of select alumni (about the award)
- Laila Al-Shaar was awarded a 2 years grant by the AHA for her proposal entitled “BMI and physical activity in relation to outcomes after myocardial infarction: Analysis of two prospective cohort studies” (Read).
- Karine Al Feghali, SHARP MS graduate, won the first prize at the Clinical Research Open House. Her poster was based on her SHARP MS Thesis “Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation in Patients with Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.”
- Laila Al Shaar Poster entitled “Weight Change BMI and Mortality after Myocardial Infarction: Analysis of Two Prospective Cohort Studies” was presented at Poster Day (April 26, 2017) of the Harvard T.Chan School of Public Health. The poster won the Audience Favorite Award based on votes from all meeting attendees.
- Eman Sbaity, SHARP MS Student Wins KIP Grant and MPP Grant (Read).
- Dr. Huda Huijer received the Princess Mona Regional Award for Excellence in Nursing for 2017 in Amman Jordan in recognition of significant contributions to health care and the nursing profession.
- Marlene Chakhtoura, MD, MSc, received an award for outstanding poster presentation (category of Epidemiology) during the 7th Annual AUB Biomedical Research Day that was held on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at West Hall. The poster was one of the top 12 out of 122 posters presented.
- SHARP graduates inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AΩA) Jan 25, 2017 (Read).
2016
- Dr Huda Huijer honored at International Nurse Researcher Hall Of Fame (View).
- SHARP Summer 2013 Graduate receives Intern of the year award, Best Junior Resident Teaching Award, and Highest Absite Score Award (Read).
- Recipient of the International Excellence in Endocrinology Award, Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan, MD, MPH (Read) – (Harvard Club-Reception-Photos) – (Endo Plenary Video).
2015
- Dr. Marlene Chakhtoura was selected for ASBMR Phoebe Leboy Professional Development Award, and received the plaque at the Presidents reception (More).
- “Marlene Chakhtoura, SHARP MS student, was selected by the Endocrine Society to receive a travel award to attend Early Career Forum at the Endocrine Society’s 97th Annual Meeting & Expo being held March 4-8, 2015 in San Diego.”
2014
PUBLICATIONS
SHARP SUMMER PROGRAM GRADUATES
SHARP Certificate program graduates have been recruited in top ranking institutions. They are Research Fellows, Residents, and Research Associates at institutions such as Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, Brigham and Women’s hospital, and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Under the umbrella of capacity building, some are now junior faculty such as Dr. Marlene Chakhtoura who is an Instructor of Clinical Specialty at AUB, and Dr. Maya Barake who is an Endocrinologist at CMC. Dr. Eman Sbaity, current MS student, is also an Instructor of Clinical Specialty at AUBMC.
