Dr. Said El Shamieh is Associate Professor of Human genetics as well as the Head of the research committee at the faculty of Head sciences of Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon. Prior to this, Dr. Shamieh underwent 2 years postdoctorate fellowship at the Institut de la Vision, Sorbonnes Universités, Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France. Dr. Shamieh’s research focuses on identifying genetic variants associated with rare Inherited retinal diseases and complex traits (lipids).

Dr. Shamieh authored more than 60 publications in journals; American Journal of Human Genetics, Human Molecular Genetics, European Journal of Human Genetics, Orphanet Journal of rare Diseases, and Frontiers in genes. Besides, he is a Co-inventor of the patent WO2013093091.

Dr. Shamieh also serves as a member of the editorial board of Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark and a Reviewer for the British Journal of Ophthalmology, Genes, Translational Vision Science and Technology, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Clinica Chimica Acta.

Professor Rajaa Fakhoury is a professor of Medical Biochemistry; she has completed her MSc from the American University of Beirut, Medical School, Department of Biochemistry and her PhD from Manchester University Medical School, Department of Rheumatology and postdoctoral studies from the same university department of Integrated Genomic Medical Research. After her graduation from Manchester University in 1993, she joined Beirut Arab University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology. She worked at King Saud Bin Abdel Aziz University for Health Sciences and at Alfaisal University, College of Medicine. Currently, Professor Fakhoury is the dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University. She has published more than 40 papers in the field of Molecular Medicine and Pharmacogenomics.