Mrs. Camille MOITEL MESSARRA
Institute of Psychomotor Therapy
Higher Institute of Speech and Language Therapy
Associate professor
(+961) 1 421 000 ext 6833 camille.messarra@usj.edu.lb
I am a trained speech therapist currently a professor at Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ), Lebanon, within the diagnostic research center for speech therapy. My areas of expertise include prevention and assessment in speech therapy, particularly in the context of young childrens language development. My experience as a clinician and educator in speech therapy between France and Lebanon has led me to invest in the development of the USjs Higher Institute of Speech Therapy, which I directed for twelve years. In parallel, I embarked on a doctoral thesis journey in 2017, co-supervised by the University of Liège and Saint Joseph University of Beirut. I defended my thesis in 2022 on supporting language development in children under three years old. Thus, my academic investment has since focused on the fields of prevention and development in speech therapy from a public health perspective.
Highest degree : PhD in biological and medical sciences - Saint Joseph University of Beirut
+ Education
| Degrees | University | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor in psychological sciences and education | Université de Liège | Belgium | 2022 |
| Doctor in biological and medical sciences | Saint Joseph University of Beirut | Lebanon | 2022 |
| Research Master in speech and language therapy | Saint Joseph University of Beirut | Lebanon | 2015 |
| Bachelor in Speech and Language Therapy | Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) | Belgique | 1993 |
+ Teaching at USJ
- Introduction to Speech Therapy - Ethics Speech Therapy - Research Methodology - Public Health, Prevention, Speech Therapy - Interactive Reading
+ Professionnal experience outside USJ
| Professional Experience | Organization | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speech and language therapist | CEMEDIPP | 01/09/2001 | 31/08/2008 |
| Speech and language therapist | APF Marc Sautelet | 01/09/1998 | 31/08/2000 |
| Volunteer speech an language therapist | IRAP/ASMAE | 01/09/1997 | 31/08/1998 |
| Speech and language therapist | IRPA | 01/09/1993 | 31/08/1997 |
+ Expertise field
Medecine and Health
+ Research topics
- Development of speech therapy from a public health perspective - Prevention of language development disorders in young children - Quality of language interactions in the young childs environment - Assessment of communication language in young children their surroundings
+ Publications and communications
Publications
Moitel Messarra, C., Kouba Hreich, E. (2024). La prévention des troubles SAFE_USJ_du langage en orthophonie : comment et pourquoi collaborer avec les professionnels de la petite enfance? Rééducation Orthophonique, N°298, Fédération Nationale des Orthophonistes
Messara, C. M., Hreich, E. K., Perez, T. M., & Maillart, C. (2023). Rôle des éducateurs et des orthophonistes dans le soutien au développement langagier en crèches au Liban: représentations et sentiment de compétence. Glossa, 40-71.
Moitel Messarra, C., & Martinez Perez, T., Kouba Hreich, E. et Maillart, C. (2023). Orthophonistes et milieux d’accueil: un accompagnement sur-mesure pour soutenir le langage des enfants. Les cahiers Pratqiues d’ANAE, fascicule N°1.
Messarra, C., Kouba Hreich, E., Martinez-Perez, T. Maillart, C., 2021, Accompagner des éducateurs pour soutenir le développement langagier de jeunes enfants : une intervention indirecte menée au Liban. ANAE, 173.
Messarra, C. & Kouba Hreich, E. (2020). Bilinguisme et Troubles SAFE_USJ_du Langage : zoom sur le cas SAFE_USJ_du Liban. In Zebib, R., Prevost, P., Tuller, L. Henry, G., eds “Plurilinguisme et troubles SAFE_USJ_du Langage au Liban ». Beyrouth : Presses de L’université Saint Joseph
Communications
2024 - Moitel Messarra, C., Khoury Aouad Saliby, C., Dos Santos, E., Kouba Hreich, N., Chami, S., Kern. Lexical development in monolingual, bilingual, and trilingual Lebanese preschool children. IASCL, XVIth International Congress for the Study of Child Language, Prague, Czech Republic.
2021 - "Speech therapists and childcare settings: customized support to enhance childrens language." Workshop - Oral language as a public health issue - Association Occitadys. Following this presentation, the project was selected by an expert committee for deployment in the Occitanie region of France (ongoing deployment supported by the Regional Health Agency until 2026, with effectiveness evaluation in progress).
2021 – "Language development and the importance of high-quality early childhood education and care." IASCL - International Congress for the Study of Child Language, Philadelphia, USA.
Projects
Since 2023:
Committee Member for COST Action 22139 "Justice to Youth Language Needs: human rights undermined by an invisible disadvantage Y-JustLang."
Since 2020:
Lead investigator for Lebanon – "Language development in Arabic-speaking children in the early years: tackling the roots of academic and social inequalities" (BULBUL) in collaboration with Newcastle University School of Communication and Language Sciences. Link to project
Since 2018:
Project leader for DEVLANGLI: adaptation of MBCDI-I, II, and CDI-III for multilingual Lebanese children (8-16 months and 16-30 months) in collaboration with UMR 5596 – CNRS/Université Lyon2 Institute of Human Sciences, France (Dr. Sophie Kern).