Zeina HOBAIKA KHOURY

Associate Professor
Coordinateur cursus master - Génomique et protéomique fonctionnelles - Faculty of Science

Vice-Rectorate for Research - VRR
Technology Transfer Officer - Projet: Lebanon Innovate

+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

Degree University Country Year
Doctorat - structure, fonction et ingénierie des protéines Université Denis Diderot Paris VII France 2009
Master - structure, fonction et ingénierie des protéines Université Denis Diderot Paris VII France 2005
Master recherche - structure, interaction des macromolécules et génomique fonctionnelle Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth Liban 2005
Maitrise - Biochimie Université Libanaise Liban 2004
Licence d'enseignement - Biochimie Université Libanaise Liban 2003

Research themes

Drug Design: Study of the structure interactions of macromolecules; Design and characterization of inhibitor complexes for therapeutic purposes: applications to metalloproteins and DNA sequences involved in pathologies.   Valorization of waste and agro

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

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