Michele Cherfane, PhD
Associate Professor
Epidemiology and Population Health Discipline Coordinator
Dr. Michele Cherfane joined the LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine in September 2022, as an Associate Professor in Epidemiology and the Coordinator of the population health discipline. Dr. Cherfane holds both a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy (2008) and a doctorate in pharmacy (2009) from LAU, as well as a university diploma entitled Fundamentals of Medical Research and a Master of Sciences in Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaco-Epidemiology, both from the Lebanese University. She also holds a PhD in Health and Public Health from the University of Paris Nord (Paris 13) - Université Sorbonne Paris Cité. She trained at the prestigious Centre of Research in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CRESS), Inserm U1153, in the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Unit (EREN). Most of her reserach work focused on evaluating and quantifying the relationship between lifestyle behavior and high blood pressure at the population level. She conducted analysis on one of the largest epidemiologic databases in Europe (CONSTANCES).
Dr. Cherfane has more than twelve years of academic and administrative experience, including teaching, advising students, developing curricula, chairing pedagogical and scientific committees, meeting national and international accreditation requirements, and supervising student research projects. More recently she was employed at Abu Dhabi University and headed the Department of Environmental and Public Health at the College of Health Sciences. She is also an active member of numerous professional organizations. Her primary research interests are in public health, epidemiology, social and behavioral health, and chronic diseases, particularly hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. She has presented her research findings at international conferences and has published in prestigious journals.
As a teacher and a health professional, she has inspired future health care providers to play an active, influential, ethical, and professional role in their communities.Selected Publications
- Bechmann N , Maccio U, Kotb R, Al Dweik R, Cherfane M, Moch H, Bornstein SR, Varga Z. COVID-19 Infections in Gonads: Consequences on Fertility? Horm Metab Res 2022; 54: 549-555
- Hoffmann C, Gerber PA, Cavelti-Weder C, Licht L, Kotb R, Al Dweik R, Cherfane M, Bornstein SR, Perakakis N. Liver, NAFLD and COVID-19. Horm Metab Res 2022; 54(08): 522-531
- Safwan J, Cherfan M, Dabbous M, Hammoudi D, Akiki Z, Saade F, Akel M, Younes S, Rahal M, Bou Raad E, Sakr F. Faculty perceptions on online education in a school of pharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmacy Education 2022;22(1): 450-457
- Assi M, Onaissy N, Sakr F, Cherfan M, Akiki Z, Dabbous M, Akel M, Safwan J. Smoking habits, attitudes and determinants among university aged population: Comparison of pharmacy and non-pharmacy students from a private university in Lebanon. Pharmacy Education 2022;22(1): 523 - 532
- Chahine B, Cherfane M, Sakr F, Safwan J, Dabbous M, Akel M, Rahal M. Community pharmacists’ perceptions and role in the management of common dermatological problems in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2021; 29: 573–579
- Youssef L, Hallit S, Sacre H, Salameh P, Cherfan M, Akel M, Hleyhel M. Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards people living with HIV/AIDS in Lebanon. PLoS ONE 2021; 16(3): e0249025.
- Hammoudi Halat D, Cherfan M, Mourad N, Rahal M. Highlights from a model for remote delivery of pharmacy laboratory courses: design, implementation and students feedback. Pharmacy Education 2020;20(2):49-51.
- Fenech G, Vallée A, Cherfan M, Kab S, Goldberg M, Zins M, Blacher J. Poor Awareness of Hypertension in France: The CONSTANCES Population-Based Study. Am J Hypertens 2020;33(6):543-551
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Cherfan M, Vallée A, Kab S, Salameh P, Goldberg M, Zins M, Blacher J. Unhealthy behavior and risk of uncontrolled hypertension among treated individuals-the CONSTANCES population-based study. Sci Rep 2020;10:1925
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Cherfan M, Vallée A, Kab S, Salameh P, Goldberg M, Zins M, Blacher J. Unhealthy behavior and risk of hypertension the CONSTANCES population-based cohort. J Hypertens 2019;37(11):2180-2189
View Dr. Cherfane’s publications
Professional and Research Interests
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Teaching:• Epidemiology• Biostatistics• Research methodology• Critical appraisal of literature
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Research Interests:• Epidemiology of chronic diseases• Hypertension• Cardiovascular disease• Stroke• Social and behavioral sciences• Health promotion and lifestyle behavior• Knowledge attitude and practices of the community to public health issues• Sustainable development goals• Medical education
Education and Training
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Bachelor of Sciences in Pharmacy (BPharm), Lebanese American University (LAU) Byblos, Lebanon, 2008-2009
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PharmD, Lebanese American University (LAU), Byblos, Lebanon, 2008-2009
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University Diploma Fundamentals of Medical Research, Lebanese University, Lebanon, 2012-2013
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Master in Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaco-Epidemiology, Lebanese University, Lebanon, 2014-2015
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Ph.D. in Health and Public Health, Galilee Doctoral School for Sciences, Technology and Health. Nutritional Epidemiology Research Unit (EREN), Centre of Research in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CRESS), Inserm U1153, Paris Nord University Sorbonne Paris Cite, Paris, France, 2016-2019
Professional Organizations, Memberships, Affiliations, and/or Honors
- Founding member of INSPECT -lb: institut national de santé publique, d’épidémiologie clinique et de toxicologie - Leban - Public Health & Epidemiology Axis since 2018
- Member of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Climate Change Research Network, Public Health Cluster since 2021
- Member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation, Academic Pharmacy Section since 2017
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Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon (OPL) since 2009
Keywords
Hypertension, epidemiology, dietary approach to stop hypertension diet, lifestyle behavior, physical activity, knowledge, attitude and practices, public health