About

Ghada El Zakhem Naous

Senior Instructor of Chemistry
Director of the Honors Program

In October 1998, Ghada El Zakhem Naous joined LAU as a full-time instructor and later got promoted to senior instructor. She has extensive experience conducting theoretical project studies in the fields of physical and organic chemistry. Her thesis work focused on synthesizing and studying the coordination of substituted phenanthrolines with transition metals. In 2019, she assumed the role of director of the Honors Program at the university.

As an honor program director, 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 aids 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.

SDGs Research Mapping

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

Selected Publications

  1. Ghada El-Zakhem Naous,  Areej Merhia, Ralph Dahera, Mohamad Mrouehb, Martine Abboudc and Robin Taleba, 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.
  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 , 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.

Academic Degrees

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