In October 1998, Ghada El Zakhem Naous joined LAU as a full-time instructor and subsequently advanced to the rank of senior instructor. She has a wealth of experience in conducting project studies in analytical and organic chemistry, with a thesis focused on synthesizing and examining the coordination of substituted phenanthrolines with transition metals. In 2019, she became the director of the LAU Honors Program, a position she held until August 2024. As of September 2024, she transitioned to the role of Program Coordinator for the Honors Program at the Byblos campus.

As an honors program director/coordinator, she serves as a mentor, advisor and advocate for honors students, guiding them through a challenging and enriching curriculum. Naous’ ultimate goal is to create an environment where talented students can thrive academically, develop leadership skills, and pursue their passions, preparing them for future success in their chosen fields.

Ghada Naous possesses both practical and theoretical expertise in instrumental analysis, including HPLC, Gas Chromatography, Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, and elemental analysis.

In addition to her academic responsibilities, Ghada Naous is a dedicated volunteer in an organization that provides assistance to individuals in need and those facing economic challenges.

Research Interests

Presently, her research efforts are centered around assessing the presence of acrylamide in daily consumed food items. Acrylamide has been classified as a Group 2A probable carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Her primary objective in this research is to identify methods that can improve industrial processes and domestic cooking conditions to regulate acrylamide levels in food, thereby minimizing its potential health impact after consumption. She is also actively involved in toxicology research, which seeks to evaluate the water toxicity and the quality of food and beverages available in the Lebanese market.

She is also involved in recognizing the significant health risks associated with per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure, such as immunosuppression and congenital defects. This proposed research project aims to assess PFAS levels in rice, a staple food for Lebanese and Middle Eastern populations, and to evaluate how handling and preparation methods may influence PFAS content.

In addition to investigating the presence and levels of PFAS in both indoor and outdoor atmospheric samples in Lebanon, by determining PFAS concentrations in particulate matter and volatile compounds, the study aims to assess potential exposure routes for the Lebanese population, particularly in light of recent findings of PFAS in human milk.

SDGs Research Mapping

Ghada El Zakhem Naous conducts research relevant to the following SDGs:

Selected Publications

1. Ghada El-Zakhem Naous, Areej Merhi, Martine Abboud, Mohamad Mroueh and Robin I. Taleb, Carcinogenic and Neurotoxic Risks of Acrylamide Consumed through Caffeinated Beverages among the Lebanese Population, Chemosphere, 2018, 208, 352-357. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.05.1850045-6535.
2. Areej Merhi, Ghada El-Zakhem Naous, Ralph Daher, Martine Abboud, Mohamad Mroueh and Robin I. Taleb, Carcinogenic and Neurotoxic Risks of dietary Acrylamide Consumed through Cereals among the Lebanese Population, BMC chemistry, 2020.DOI 10.1186/s13065-020-00705-2.
3. Ghada El-Zakhem Naous^a, Areej Merhi^a, Ralph Daher^a, Mohamad Mroueh^b, Martine Abboud^c and Robin Taleb^a, Carcinogenic and Neurotoxic Risks of Acrylamide Consumed through Bread, Kaak, Toast, and Crackers among the Lebanese Population, Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology, 2022. DOI:10.106/j.yrtph.2022.105192.

Academic Degrees

• MS in Organic Chemistry, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
• BS in Chemistry, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.