Helga FRANCIS KEHDI

Assistant Professor

Faculty of Science – maître de conférences

Faculty of Religious Sciences – Chargé de Cours

+961 (1) 421 000 ext 3377 helga.francis@usj.edu.lb

Doctor of Chemistry from the Saint-Joseph University of Beirut (USJ), Helga Francis has solid expertise in the food and packaging sector, with a wealth of experience in teaching, research, and consulting for industry. Holder of a degree in Food Industry Engineering from the École Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie et des Industries Alimentaires in France, she has been laboratory manager of the Analysis and Research Center of the Faculty of Sciences of the USJ since 2008, where she conducts analyses for industry and the public sector, trains interns and participates in innovative research projects. A UNIDO collaborator since 2022, as an international packaging expert, she trains and advises industrial players on packaging standards and processes in developing countries.

Education

Degree	University	Country	Year
Chemistry	Saint Joseph University of Beyrouth	Lebanon	2023
Master BANT	Institut national polytechnique de Lorraine (INPL)	France	2006
Food engineering (Packaging subspecialty)	Institut national polytechnique de Lorraine (INPL)	France	2006
Chemistry	Saint Joseph University of Beyrouth	Lebanon	2004
Chemistry	Saint Joseph University of Beyrouth	Lebanon	2003

Teaching at USJ

Introduction à l’emballage et étiquetage.Emballage et conditionnement.Polymères en industries alimentaires.Cycle de vie d’un produit alimentaire.Chimie de coordination.

University teaching outside USJ

University teaching outside USJ	Country	Institution	Start date	End date
Food packaging course	Lebanon	Université Libanaise (UL)	01/09/2010	31/12/2014

Professional experience outside USJ

Professional experience	Organisation	Start date	End date
International Packaging Expert	Unido	01/08/2022

Areas of expertise

Engineering and Technology, Sciences

Research themes

Innovation en procédés alimentaires.Matériaux d’emballage et durabilité.

Publications and communications

•Salem, Y., Sunoqrot, S., Rajha, H.N, Abusulieh, S., Afif, C., Francis, H., Touma, J., Louka, N., Maroun, R.G. (2024). Grape seed phenolic extracts encapsulation in polymeric nanoparticles: Characterization in vitro evaluation against skin melanoma. Journal of Drug Delivery Science Technology, Volume 100, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2024.106094.•Francis, H., Debs, E., Maroun, R., & Louka, N. (2024). Enhancing Wheat sprout attributes using “Intensification of Vaporization by Decompression to the Vacuum”, an innovative drying–texturizing technology. Agriculture 2024, 14(4), 515 https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14040515•Francis, H. Debs, E. Koubaa, M.; Alrayess, Z.; Maroun, R.G.; Louka, N. (2022) Sprouts use as functional foods. Optimization of germination of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.) seeds based on their nutritional content evolution. Foods 2022, 11, 1460. https://doi.org/10.3390/ foods11101460•Francis, H., Debs, E., Maroun, R., & Louka, N. (2020). An eco-friendly process for the preservation of natural nutritious sprouts. 2020 5th International Conference on Renewable Energies for Developing Countries, REDEC 2020, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/REDEC49234.2020.9163874