Dr. Nadine Zeeni in an associate professor of Nutrition. She is also the coordinator of the Liberal Education Sciences. She joined LAU in 2009 as the program’s first faculty member and contributed greatly in its establishment and expansion.

Research Interests and Projects

Dr. Zeeni has strong research interests in the regulation of eating behavior. She has closely examined two fields in particular: appetite regulation and disordered eating behaviors. She was part of the Nutrient Sensing in Satiety control and Obesity (NuSISCO) project funded by the European Union, and which aimed at better understanding the growing obesity problem in Europe.

She recently developed an interest in the effects of social media use and dependence on body image and dietary habits. This topic is of great significance in light of the increasing use of social media and its possible detrimental effects on physical and mental health. Moreover, in 2019-20 Dr. Zeeni worked closely with the World Food Programme (WFP) to help them assess the Health and Nutrition Summer camps that they offer to vulnerable children across Lebanon.

SDGs Research Mapping

Dr. Nadine Zeeni conducts research relevant to the following SDGs:

Professional Memberships

Since its creation in 2010, Dr. Zeeni has been an active member of LAU’s Inter-professional Education (IPE) workgroup. She acted as IPE coordinator from 2015 till 2018. The group’s main mission is to prepare students of health and social care professions (Nutrition, Nursing, Pharmacy, Medicine and Social Work) to provide patient care in a collaborative team environment.

 Dr. Zeeni is an active member of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), Middle East Eating Disorders Association (MEEDA) and Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA). Her hobbies and personal interests include pilates, weight training and traveling. 

Selected Publications

1. Gharibeh N, Chaumontet C, Darcel N, Fromentin G, Denis I, Zeeni N. Intermittent sucrose solution intake and its schedule of access modulate energy intake and weight gain in response to chronic variable stress in mice. Appetite. 2022; 176:106123. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106123
2. Zeeni N, Abi Kharma J, Mattar L. “Social media use impacts body image and eating behavior in pregnant women.” Current Psychology, 2021, 1-8.
3. Yammine K, Abi Kharma J, Kaypekian T, Assi C, Zeeni N. “Is diabetic neuropathy associated with vitamin D status? A meta-analysis.” British Journal of Nutrition, 2021, 1-35.
4. El-Jor C, Rahi B, El Khoury-Malhame M, Mattar L, Moussa S, Zeeni N. “Assessment of the World Food Programme summer camps in Lebanon: a model of effective interventions for vulnerable adolescents.” British Journal of Nutrition, 2020, 18:1-29. doi: 10.1017/S0007114520003682s.
5. Zeeni N, Doumit R, Abi Kharma J, Sanchez-Ruiz MJ. Media, Technology Use, and Attitudes: Associations with Physical and Mental Well-Being in Youth with Implications for Evidence-Based Practice. Worldviews in Evidence-based Nursing 2018, 15(4):304-312. doi: 10.1111/wvn.12298
6. Doumit R, Abi Kharma J, Sanchez-Ruiz MJ, Zeeni N. Predictors of Disordered Eating in Young Males. Community Mental Health Journal, 2018, 54(2), 236-244.
7. Sanchez-Ruiz MJ, El-Jor C, Abi Kharma J, Bassil M, Zeeni N. Personality, emotion-related variables, and media pressure predict eating disorders via disordered eating in Lebanese university students. Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 2017, In Press.
8. Zeeni N, Zeenny R, Hasbini T, Asmar N, Bassil M, Nasser S, Milane A, Farra A, Habre M, Khazen G, Hoffart N. Student Perceptions toward interprofessional education: findings from a longitudinal study based in a Middle Eastern University. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 2016, 30(2):165-74.
9. El Khoury G, Ramadan W, Zeeni N. Herbal Products and Dietary Supplements: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Use, Attitudes, and Knowledge Among the Lebanese Population. Journal of Community Health, 2015, 41(3), 566-573.
10. Zeeni N, Doumit R, Safieddine H. Eating Disorder Outpatients in Lebanon: a descriptive cross-sectional study. Community Mental Health Journal, 2015, 53(1):117-125.
11. Doumit R, Long JA, Gharibeh N, Kazandjian C, Karam L, Boswell C, Song H, Zeeni N. Using cell phone pictures to record food intake and promote healthy eating. Worldviews on Evidence-based nursing, 2015, 13(3):216-23. 

Academic Degrees

• PhD, AgroParisTech University, France
• MS in Human Nutrition, McGill University, Canada
• BS in Nutrition, American University of Beirut, Lebanon