Faculty
The cornerstone of student-centered education at the LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine is our capable and committed faculty. Now with more than 200 professionals teaching in the classroom and at the bedside, the school of medicine faculty membership is on a strong trajectory of growth.
Our faculty bring to the school a diversity of backgrounds, talents, and accomplishments. With knowledge and experience gained both in Lebanon and internationally, they are devoted to fulfilling the school of medicine’s missions of education, patient care, research, and advancement of the well-being of society.
The visionary founding members of our faculty, as well as new members with fresh perspectives, inspire the next generation of physicians with their enthusiasm and passion for the field of medicine. Our school of medicine faculty embody the “three C’s” of excellence in medical education and practice: Competence, Conscientiousness, and Compassion.
Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Ama Sadaka, Clinical Assistant Professor at the LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, is a practicing ophthalmologist at LAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital. Additionally Dr. Sadaka directs the residency program and co-directs the student clerkship in ophthalmology. Her superlative training included a research fellowship at Harvard Medical School and clinical fellowships in neuro-ophthalmology and oculoplastics at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas. As one of the few American Board-certified ophthalmologists in the region and the only board-certified neuro-ophthalmologist in Lebanon, Dr. Sadaka is highly qualified to treat a wide range of conditions, including neurologic conditions, affecting the eyes and eyelids.
Dr. Jacques Mokhbat, specialist in Infectious Diseases, is Clinical Professor at the LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at LAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital. Dr. Mokhbat, whose education spanned Lebanon, the United States, and France, has had an illustrious career as a practitioner, educator, researcher, and advocate for patients afflicted with serious infectious diseases. He is renowned and revered for having founded and led the Lebanese AIDS Society and the Lebanese Society for Infectious Diseases, Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Dr. Mokhbat strives always to instill in his students and residents the importance of patient-centered care, the expansion of medical knowledge through research, and the humane dimension of the physician.
Carole Dagher-Hamalian, M.D., MSc.
Dr. Carole Dagher-Hamalian is Clinical Assistant Professor and Clerkship Director in Pathology, and Coordinator for the Histology Discipline at the school of medicine. In addition to her extensive medical education in Lebanon and France, she obtained a Master of Science degree in Molecular Biology through Staffordshire University, U.K. Dr. Dagher-Hamalian collaborates with basic scientists at the LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine and the LAU School of Arts and Sciences in a wide range of disciplines, including cancer research. Moreover she serves as coordinator for Bioethics and Problem-Based Learning - two of the school of medicine’s most valued and innovative educational programs.
Faculty Recruitment
Faculty recruitment is critical for the development of the Lebanese American University Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, and the LAU Medical Centers at Rizk Hospital and St. John Hospital and affiliated institutions. Our faculty are the backbone of the institution with regard to patient care, the education of medical students, residents and fellows, as well as research development. The school of medicine and medical centers’ reputation are greatly impacted by the quality of the faculty; therefore, careful selection, proper recruitment and retention are of paramount importance in fulfilling our mission of excellence in teaching, patient care and research.
The process starts with receipt of applications either through advertised positions or through the initiative of interested candidates. Applications are triaged and channeled through the Dean’s Office. Materials to be submitted initially would include a personal statement/cover letter, a complete CV, and three letters of recommendation. Candidates are discussed among the Dean, Assistant Dean for Faculty Recruitment, Associate Dean for Medical Education, Chief Medical Officer, and department chairs and division heads. A structured process is then followed, including arrangement of interviews with these parties as appropriate, along with selected school of medicine faculty or other stakeholders. Credentials are confirmed and the application goes through the School Advisory Committee and, for clinical faculty, the hospital medical board. Assignment of academic rank is also determined by the appropriate committees. Final approval is made by the LAU President and Provost.
Recruitment and appointment of new faculty comply with the university’s mission, providing equal opportunity for all applicants, and hiring the best candidate irrespective of race, gender, religion, age, ethnicity, national origin, or any other factor that is irrelevant to the proper performance of the duties described in the job announcement.
Interested candidates can apply here.