Marianne ABI FADEL
Doyen - FP
Enseignant Cadré - Professeur - PhD; HDR
Faculty of Pharmacy (FP)Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Therapies (LBTM)
(+961) 1 421 000 ext marianne.abifadel@usj.edu.lb
Marianne Abi Fadel is the elected Dean of the School of Pharmacy at USJ since 2013, the director of the laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Therapeutics (LBTM) at the School of Pharmacy, and a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at USJ. She is also an invited researcher at INSERM U1148 at Bichat hospital and Paris Cité University in Paris, and the director of the Laboratory Rodolphe Mérieux in Lebanon since 2018 providing diagnosis to migrants and vulnerable populations.
She obtained her Pharmacy Diploma in 1996, and her Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Biochemistry Specialization Diploma from USJ, then her PhD in Molecular Genetics in 2003 and the French accreditation to supervise research in 2009 from the University of Paris-Descartes. Her main scientific achievement is the discovery of the implication of PCSK9 in Familial Hypercholesterolemia by identifying its first gain of function (GOF) mutations (Abifadel et al. Nature Genetics 2003). This was the seminal paper linking PCSK9 to cholesterol metabolism and was the starting point of the PCSK9 adventure from gene to a new therapeutic class: the anti-PCSK9.
With several publications in journals with high impact factor (ex: 3 in Nature Genetics IF41, 3 in The Lancet IF168…), she was awarded several national and international distinctions for her work on Familial Hypercholesterolemia FH : The Chancellery of Paris Universities: Nathalie Demassieux prize in 2004, the CNRS-L (National Council for Scientific Research, Lebanon) Award in Recognition of Distinguished Scientific Researchers in 2012, the ‘Société des Membres de la Légion d’honneur’ Scientific Excellence Award in 2016, the prestigious Christophe Mérieux Prize 2021 from the “Institute de France” in Paris and the Golden Award of the Italian Society of Atherosclerosis in 2022. She is a Principal Investigator of several working groups, invited speaker in international scientific meetings and member of advisory boards. She is an elected member in the National French Academy of Pharmacy as international correspondent since 2019 and honored with the Medal of the French National Academy of Pharmacy, National Lead of Lebanon at EAS-FHSC; Member of the International Society of Atherosclerosis representing MENA region, and member of the Saint Joseph University of Beirut and HDF hospital government boards.
+ Degrees
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+ Teaching experience at USJ
Metabolic Biochemistry
+ Expertise field
Medecine and Health
+ Research topics
Her research focuses on PCSK9, the genetics of Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH), dyslipidemia, aneurysms, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in Lebanon (LBTM in collaboration with Hotel Dieu de France (HDF) hospital), in the Middle East and in the French population at INSERM U1148, Bichat Hospital. She works in collaboration with INSERM U1148 team in Paris, as well as other international teams at IRCM Montreal, Karolinska Institute, the FHSC/EAS, and collaborators in the MENA region. Besides her discovery of PCSK9 in FH, she has also identified the implication of THSD4 in thoracic aortic aneurysm, studied PCSK9 as a modifier gene in FH Lebanese patients carrying the same mutation of the LDLR, identified PCSK9 mutation in familial combined hyperlipidemia, studied Tangier disease, hypobetalipoproteinemia, hypertriglyceridemia and other rare metabolic and cardiovascular diseases in patients from Lebanon and the Middle East. She works on improving the diagnosis of non-communicable diseases but also of communicable and infectious diseases (COVID19, tuberculosis…) in collaboration with the Mérieux Foundation and Gabriel Network
+ Publications and communications
1. Abifadel M, Varret M, Rabes Jp, Allard D, Ouguerram K, Devillers M, Cruaud C, Benjannet S, Wickham L, Erlich D, Derre A, Villeger L, Farnier M, Beucler I, Bruckert E, Chambaz J, Chanu B, Lecerf Jm, Luc G, Moulin P, Weissenbach J, Prat A, Krempf M, Junien C, Seidah Ng, Boileau C.
Mutations in PCSK9 cause autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia.
Nature Genetics, 2003, 34(2):154-156.
Mizuguchi T, Collod-Beroud G, Akiyama T, Abifadel M, Harada N, Morisaki T, Allard D, Varret M, Claustres M, Morisaki H, Ihara M, Kinoshita A, Yoshiura K, Junien C, Kajii T, Jondeau G, Ohta T, Kishino T, Furukawa Y, Nakamura Y,Niikawa N, Boileau C, Matsumoto N.
Heterozygous TGFBR2 mutations in Marfan syndrome.
Nature Genetics, 2004, 36(8) : 855-860.
Abifadel M, Rabès Jp, Jambart S, Halaby G, Gannage-Yared Mh, Sarkis A, Beaino G, Varret M, Salem N, Corbani S, Aydenian H, Junien C, Munnich A, Boileau C.
The molecular basis of familial hypercholesterolemia in Lebanon: spectrum of LDLR mutations and role of PCSK9 as a modifier gene.
Hum Mutat. 2009;30(7):E682-91.
.
Genetic and molecular architecture of familial hypercholesterolemia.
J Intern Med. 2023 Feb;293(2):144-165.
Dharmayat K, Vallejo-Vaz A, Stevens C, Brandts J, Lyons A, Groselj U, Abifadel M, + 476 co-authors, Santos R, Ray K.
Familial hypercholesterolaemia in children and adolescents from 48 countries: a cross-sectional study
Lancet. 2024 Jan 6;403(10421):55-66.
+ Awards and recognition
• Prix de thèse de la Chancellerie des Universités de Paris : Prix de thèse de Sciences Nathalie Demassieux remis dans les Grands Salons de la Sorbonne le 9 Décembre 2004 ;
pour la découverte du 3ème gène de l’hypercholestérolémie familiale : PCSK9
• Prix du CNRS libanais en reconnaissance de l’excellence scientifique. Beyrouth
• Prix d'excellence scientifique franco-libanais
+ Resourcing
- Membre de la Société Européenne d’Athérosclérose EAS Investigateur Principal représentant le Liban
- Membre de l’Ordre des Pharmaciens du Liban et du Syndicat des biologistes au Liban
- Membre de la Conférence Internationale des Doyens des Facultés de Pharmacie d’Expression Française
- Membre du Comité exécutif de l’Association Scientifique des Facultés de pharmacie du Monde Arabe
- Membre du Réseau GABRIEL regroupant les Laboratoires Rodolphe Mérieux dans le Monde
- Membre de l’Académie Nationale française de Pharmacie – A titre étranger.
- Membre de l’EAS-FHSC (Société Européenne d’Athérosclérose, Steering Committee), Investigateur principal représentant le Liban.
- Membre de l’IAS-MENA region (Société Internationale d’Athérosclérose), représentant le Liban.