Zeina HOBAIKA KHOURY

Faculté des sciences – Professeur associé

+961 (1) 421 000 ext 3380 zeina.hobaika@usj.edu.lb

Prof. Dr. Zeina Hobaika is an accomplished biochemist with a PhD in Structure, Function, Proteins Engineering from Denis Diderot University, complemented by an Executive Diploma in Management and Conduct of Strategic Projects from Sciences Po in Paris, France. She currently servs as an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Life and Earth Sciences-Biochemistry at Saint Joseph University of Beirut in Lebanon. Dr. Hobaika leads the Macromolecules Structure and Interactions Research Team, focusing on rational drug design to combat diseases like AIDS, Cancer, and Alzheimer’s. She is also deeply involved in sustainable practices, researching the management and valorization of agro-industrial byproducts and waste for a sustainable future. Throughout her career, Dr. Hobaika has received numerous prestigious awards and recognition for her contributions to science and leadership. She was awarded the lOréal-UNESCO For Women In Science Pan Arab Fellowship in 2011 and was selected for the TechWomen Program and for the International Visitor Leadership Program by the U.S. Department of State in 2012 and 2020, respectively. In addition, she was recognized in the top 10 Emerging leaders in STEM Fields in the MENA Region by the International Business Times, New York. Additionally, she is a distinguished member of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities AGYA, where she served as co-President in 2019. With a substantial scientific output, she actively engages in various projects with both public and private sectors.

Education

Diplôme	Université	Pays	Année
Executive Certificate in Management and Strategic Project Leadership	SciencesPo	France	2015
PhD in Protein Structure, Function and Engineering	Université Paris 7- Denis Diderot	France	2009
Master in Macromolecules Structure and Interaction and Functional Genomics	Saint Joseph University of Beyrouth	Lebanon	2005
Master in Protein Structure, Function, and Engineering	Université Paris 7- Denis Diderot	France	2005
Teaching Diploma in Biochemistry	Université Libanaise (UL)	Lebanon	2004

Teaching at USJ

University teaching outside USJ

University teaching outside USJ	Pays	Institution	Start date	End date
Lecturer	Lebanon	Université Saint-Esprit- Kaslik (USEK)	01/09/2009	31/08/2010

Professional experience outside USJ

Professional experience	Organisation	Start date	End date
Associate Professor	USJ- FS	01/09/2019
Head of Life and Earth Sciences-Biochemistry Department	USJ- FS	26/08/2019
Assistant Professor	USJ- FS	01/09/2012	31/08/2019
Head of Master's in Biomarketing	USJ- FS	01/09/2012	25/08/2019
Full time Faculty Position	USJ- FS	01/09/2010	31/08/2012
Lecturer	USJ- FS	01/09/2009	31/08/2010

Areas of expertise

Engineering and Technology, Sciences

Research themes

DrugDesign: Study of the structure interactions of macromolecules; Design and characterizationof inhibitor complexes for therapeutic purposes: applications tometalloproteins and DNA sequences involved in pathologies. Valorization of waste and agro-industrial co-products: characterization of bioactive compounds and production production ofbiogas and fertilizer.

Publications and communications

•Anaerobic digestion of poultry droppings in semi-continuous mode effect of their co-digestion with physico-chemical sludge on methane yield. Mansour M-N, Lendormi T, Louka N, Maroun RG, Hobaika Z and Lanoisellé J-L. Sustainability 2023, 15, 5997. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075997 •Quantum-Chemistry Based Design of Halobenzene Derivatives With Augmented Affinities for the HIV-1 Viral G4/C16 Base-Pair. El Darazi P, El Khoury L, El Hage K, Maroun RG, Hobaika Z, Piquemal J-P, Gresh N. 2020. Front. Chem. 8:440. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00440 •Spectrometric and computational studies of the binding of HIV-1 integrase inhibitors to viral DNA extremities. El Khoury L, El Hage K, Piquemal J-P, Fermandjian S, Maroun RG, Gresh N, Hobaika Z. 2019. PeerJ Physical Chemistry 1:e6 DOI 10.7717/peerj-pchem.6 •Influence of several pretreatment conditions on lignocellulosic fractions and methane production from grape pomace. El Achkar JL, Lendormi T, Salameh D, Louka N, Maroun RG, Lanoisellé JL and Hobaika Z. Bioresource Technology. 2018 Vol 247: 881–889. Doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.09.182 •Specificity of LTR DNA Recognition by a Peptide Mimicking the HIV-1 Integrase α4 Helix. Hobaika Z, Zargarian L, Boulard Y, Maroun RG, Mauffret O and Fermandjian S. Nucleic Acids Research. 2009 Dec37(22):7691-700. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkp824

Useful links

Awards and distinctions

AGYA vise à créer une communauté d'excellents chercheurs arabes et allemands, qui sont au début de leur carrière académique (3-10 ans après le doctorat) et soutient des projets innovants conjoints dans divers domaines de la recherche à travers différentes disciplines en sciences et en sciences humaines ; à savoir l’Éducation arabe et allemande, l’héritage et les défis communs, l’Energie, l’Eau et l’Environnement, l’Innovation, la Transformation, la Santé et la Société. Nous tenons à signaler que l’acceptation est très sélective et que seuls les excellents dossiers sont admis. AGYA compte globalement une cinquantaine de chercheurs arabes et allemands.AGYA regroupe les Universités les plus prestigieuses en Allemagne et dans le monde Arabe. Elle offre à ses membres une occasion unique de développer et mettre en œuvre leurs idées, visions et projets dans le cadre de la coopération de recherche arabo-allemande. En outre, AGYA favorise l'expérience interculturelle de ses membres et les promeut comme ambassadeurs de la science et de la culture. Cette académie est soutenue par le Ministère Fédéral allemand de l’Éducation et de la Recherche, la BBAW (Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities), la German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, German Goethe Institute, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation et le DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).