Kamal Hirbli, MD

Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Internal Medicine
Division of Endocrinology

Dr. Kamal Hirbli began teaching endocrinology in 1984 simultaneously at Saint Joseph University in Beirut and at the Lebanese University, and he founded the Division of Endocrinology at the latter institution. He served as Chief of the Endocrinology Division for 15 years after the merger in 1996 of the two branches, East and West Beirut, of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the Lebanese University. Additionally he served as the Head of the Division of Endocrinology at Rafik Hariri University Hospital until the establishment of the Lebanese American University Medical Center - Rizk Hospital.

In 1976, during the Lebanese civil war, Dr. Hirbli reactivated the Lebanese Medical Journal and was its General Director while also sitting on the editorial board for many years. He was elected in 1988 as member of the board of the Lebanese Order of Physicians, and was then nominated as member of the disciplinary and financial committees. He has also been involved in awareness and screening campaigns at the national level related to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and has been the principal investigator or investigator in several clinical trials.

Dr. Hirbli was appointed in 1996 as full Professor of Medicine at the Lebanese University; and he has trained several endocrinologists currently practicing in Lebanon and as well has directed multiple theses for medical students. He is currently Associate Preceptor of Endocrinology at the Lebanese American University School of Pharmacy for Pharm-D students, Clinical Associate Professor at the LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Head of the Endocrinology Division at the Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital, and Fellowship Program Director.

Selected Publications

• Ghassibe-Sabbagh M, Deeb M, Salloum AK, Mouzaya F, Haber M, Al-Sarraj Y, Chami Y, Akle Y, Hirbli K, Nemr R, Ahdab R, Platt DE, Abchee AB, El-Shanti H, Zalloua PA. Multivariate epidemiologic analysis of type 2 diabetes mellitus risks in the Lebanese population. Diabetol Metab Syndr. (2014) 6:89. DOI: 10.1186/1758-5996-6-89
• Gassibi-Sabbagh M, Haber M, Salloum AK, Al-Sarraj Y, Akle Y, Hirbli K, Romanos J, Mouzaya F, Guautier D, Platt DE, El-Shanti H, Zalloua PA. T2DM GWAS in the Lebanese population confirms the role of TCF7L2 and CDKAL1 in disease susceptibility. Sci Rep. (2014) 4:7351. DOI: 10.1038/srep07351
• Hirbli K, Jambeim M, Slim H, Habis R, Barakat W, Francis Z. Prevalence of diabetes in Greater Beirut. Diabetes Care (2005) 28:1262.
• Hirbli K, Barakat-Elkhoury W, Abi-Saab M, Bitar H, Najem R. Blood cholesterol profile of Lebanese population. Diabetes and Metabolism (1990) 16:435-440.

View Dr. Hirbli’s publications on PubMed.

Professional and Research Interests

• Diabetes
• Dyslipidemia
• Obesity
• Epidemiology of diabetes, dyslipidemia and obesity
• Thyroid disorders

Education and Training

• B.A., Jamhour College, Beirut, Lebanon, 1971
• M.D. degree, French School of Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon, 1978
• Life and Earth Sciences High Studies, College de France, Paris, 1978
• Fellowship in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Bichat University Hospital, Paris and Hotel-Dieu University Hospital, Paris, 1978-1981
• Certification, French Specialized National Certificate of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, 1981

Professional Memberships and Organizations

• American Diabetes Association (ADA)
• European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD)
• American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE)

Honors

• Award for the contribution in the development of medicine in Kuwait, 1989

Keywords

epidemiology, diabetes, lipid, dyslipidemia, obesity, thyroid disease, parathyroid disorders, adrenal disorders, pituitary disorders, polycystic ovary, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, lipid disorder