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

She served as an assistant dean for the School of Arts and Sciences for two years (2012-2014), and as the director of Honors and Freshman Programs. She is the founding director of the Honors Program which spans across four schools at LAU, including AKSOB, SArD, SAS and SOE.

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. 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.
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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). Contribution: Senior and corresponding author
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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.
13. 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
14. 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
15. 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
16. 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