Dr. Sandra Rizk is a professor of biology in the Department of Biological Sciences at LAU. She joined LAU in 2004 after teaching at AUB, the Lebanese University, and NDU.

Since 2024, she has been serving as associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, where she plays a key role in advancing academic initiatives and student engagement. She previously served as assistant dean of the School (2012-2014) and as director of the Honors and Freshman programs (2014-2019).

Dr. Rizk is the founding director of the LAU Honors Program, the first program of its kind to be established in the MENA region. The Honors Program has become a hallmark of academic excellence and interdisciplinary exploration, providing outstanding students with enriched learning opportunities and recognition of their scholarly achievements.

Awards

Dr. Rizk is the recipient of the LAU Teaching Excellence Award for the academic year 2017-2018.

Research Interests

Her current research interests are in:

• Intracellular trafficking: investigating the effect of glycosylation on intracellular processing and association of glycoproteins with lipid rafts. Identifying biomarkers for lysosomal storage diseases.
• Cancer chemoprevention, to identify food components that exhibit anti-tumor activities.
• Nutrition, to investigate correlations between body composition, body shape perception, eating habits, and physical activity levels in university students.

SDGs Research Mapping

Dr. Sandra Rizk conducts research relevant to the following SDGs:

Selected Publications

1. Nafeh P, Nafeh G, Younes M, Chaaban A, El Bitar L, Ibrahim JN, Kobeissy PH, Rizk S. 2025. Urtica dioica leaf infusion enhances cisplatin-induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells in vitro. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. 2025 Aug 13;25(1):304. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-05053-z
2. Wanes D, Al Aoua S, Shammas H, Walters F, Das A, Rizk S, and Naim H.Y. 2024. Rosa canina L. Methanol Extract and Its Component Rutin Reduce Cholesterol More Efficiently than Miglustat in Niemann–Pick C Fibroblasts. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2024, 25 (21), 11361. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111361.
3. Abi Akl M, Hajj R, Jamati G, Karam L, Ibrahim JN, Kobeissy PH, Younes M, Rizk S. 2024. Protective Effects of Nettle Tea on SKOV-3 Ovarian Cancer Cells Through ROS Production, Apoptosis Induction, and Motility Inhibition Without Altering Autophagy. Foods, 2024 Oct 21;13(20):3336. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13203336
4. Younes M, El Hage M, Shebaby W, Al Toufaily S, Ismail J, Naim HY, Mroueh M, Rizk S. 2024. The molecular anti-metastatic potential of CBD and THC from Lebanese Cannabis via apoptosis induction and alterations in autophagy. Scientific Reports 14, 25642 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76340-x
5. Abi Sleiman M, Younes M, Hajj R, Salameh T, Abi Rached S, Abi Younes R, Daoud L, Doumiati JL, Frem F, Ishak R, Medawar C, Naim HY, Rizk S. 2024. Urtica dioica: Anticancer Properties and Other Systemic Health Benefits from In Vitro to Clinical Trials. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2024 Jul 8;25(13):7501. doi: 10.3390/ijms25137501
6. Younes M, Loubnane G, Sleiman C, Rizk S. 2024. Tocotrienol isoforms: The molecular mechanisms underlying their effects in cancer therapy and their implementation in clinical trials. Journal of Integrative Medicine vol 22 (1); 1-11 (WoS IF=3.95, Q1).
7. Zamfir-Taranu A, Löscher BS, Husein DM, Hoter A, Garcia-Etxebarria K, Etxeberria U, Gayoso L, Mayr G, Nilholm C, Gustafsson RJ, Ozaydin O, Zheng T, Esteban-Blanco C, Bozzarelli I, Bonfiglio F, Rizk S, Franke A, Bujanda L, Naim HY, D’Amato M. 2024. Sucrase-isomaltase genotype and response to a starch-reduced and sucrose-reduced diet in IBS-D patients. Gut 73 (4); 706-708. https://gut.bmj.com/content/gutjnl/73/4/706.2.full.pdf
8. Nafeh, G., Abi Akl, M., Samarani, J., Bahous, R., Al Kari, G., Younes, M., Sarkis, R. and Rizk, S., 2023. Urtica dioica leaf infusion enhances the sensitivity of triple-negative breast cancer cells to cisplatin treatment. Pharmaceuticals, 16(6); 780. https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/16/6/780
9. El Samarji M, Younes M, El Khoury M, Haykal T, Elias N, Gasilova N, Menin L, Houri A,  Machaka-Houri N, Rizk S. 2023. The antioxidant and pro-apoptotic effects of Sternbergia clusiana bulb ethanolic extract on triple negative and estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells in vitro. Plants, 12(3), 529; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030529
10. Husein D.M, Rizk S, Hoter A, Wanes D, D’Amato M*, Naim H.Y. 2022. Severe pathogenic variants of intestinal sucrase-isomaltase interact avidly with the wild type enzyme and negatively impact its function and trafficking. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Molecular Basis of Disease, 1868(11), p.166523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2022.166523
11. Younes M, Mardirossian R, Rizk L, Fazlian T, Khairallah J. P, Sleiman C, Naim HY, Rizk, S. 2022. The Synergistic Effects of Curcumin and Chemotherapeutic Drugs in Inhibiting Metastatic, Invasive and Proliferative Pathways. Plants, 11(16), 2137. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11162137
12. Kabbani S, Karkoulian S, Balozian P, Rizk S. 2022. The Impact of Ethical Leadership, Commitment and Healthy/Safe Workplace Practices toward Employee Attitude to COVID-19 Vaccination/Implantation in the Banking Sector in Lebanon. Vaccines, 10(3), 416;  https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10030416
13. Idriss M, Younes M, Abou Najem S, Hodroj M, Fakhoury R, Rizk S. 2022. Gamma-tocotrienol Synergistically Promotes the Anti-proliferative and Pro-apoptotic Effects of Etoposide on Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Current Molecular Pharmacology, 15 (7), 980-986. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874467215666220131095611.
14. Haykal T, Younes M, El Khoury M, Ammoury C, Tannous S, Hodroj MH, Sarkis R, Gasilova N, Menin L, Rizk S. 2021. The pro-apoptotic properties of a phytonutrient rich infusion of A. cherimola leaf extract on AML cells. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, 140 (2021), 111592; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111592
15. Husein D, Rizk S, Naim HY. 2021. Differential Effects of Sucrase-Isomaltase Mutants on Its Trafficking and Function in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Similarities to Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency. Nutrients 13(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010009
16. Wanes D, Toutounji M, Sebai H, Rizk S, Naim HY. Rosa canina L. 2021. Can Restore Endoplasmic Reticulum Alterations, Protein Trafficking and Membrane Integrity in a Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Inflammatory Bowel Disease Phenotype. Nutrients, 13(2), 441;  https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020441
17. Chahine JB, Haykal T, Al Hageh C, Rizk S, Khnayzer R, Khalil C. 2021. E-cigarette liquids and aerosols induced DNA damages and necrosis in dynamically exposed A549 cells. Chemosphere, 263 (127874); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127874