The School of Arts & Sciences

Department of Natural Sciences

Maya Bassil

Dr. Maya Bassil is an associate professor of nutrition and program coordinator of the Nutrition & Dietetics Coordinated Program (CP). Her principle line of research is nutrition in obesity and its comorbidities, mainly Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Using both animal models and human subjects, Dr. Bassil has conducted various studies with clinical implications for nutritionists, dietitians and other health professionals, and which set the stage for promising dietary and interdisciplinary management of obesity and T2DM.

Other research initiatives, stemming from her outreach and service to the community, address aspects of the environmental and food safety crises afflicting Lebanon. One area of research examines gluten contamination in gluten-free labeled products in Lebanon. It also assesses the nutritional status of Lebanese adults with celiac disease, as well as their level of exposure to gluten through the aforementioned contaminated products. Another area tackles maternal dietary and sociodemographic determinants of contaminants in human milk in Lebanon, with special emphasis on aflatoxins, heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. Findings from these research initiatives can serve as a guide for legislative measures and regulations, as well as awareness campaigns in the areas of food and environmental contamination in Lebanon.

Dr. Bassil is also a licensed dietitian in Lebanon and an active member of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Canadian Obesity Network (CON). In addition, she is an executive member of the Lebanese Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (LAND) since 2014.

 

Selected publications

  1. Sukkarieh-Haraty, O., Egede, L. E., Kharma, J. A., & Bassil, M. (2018). Psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the 12-item diabetes fatalism scale. PloS ONE, 13(1), e0190719.
  2. Bassil, M., Daou, F., Hassan, H., Yamani, O., Kharma, J. A., Attieh, Z., & Elaridi, J. (2018). Lead, cadmium and arsenic in human milk and their socio-demographic and lifestyle determinants in Lebanon. Chemosphere, 191, 911-921.
  3. Elaridi, J., Bassil, M., Kharma, J. A., Daou, F., & Hassan, H. F. (2017). Analysis of Aflatoxin M1 in Breast Milk and Its Association with Nutritional and Socioeconomic Status of Lactating Mothers in Lebanon. Journal of Food Protection, 80(10), 1737-1741.
  4. Sukkarieh-Haraty, O., Egede, L. E., Abi Kharma, J., & Bassil, M. (2017). Diabetes fatalism and its emotional distress subscale are independent predictors of glycemic control among Lebanese patients with type 2 diabetes. Ethnicity & Health, 1-12.
  5. Sukkarieh-Haraty, O., Egede, L. E., Kharma, J. A., & Bassil, M. (2017). Predictors of Diabetes Fatalism Among Arabs: A Cross-Sectional Study of Lebanese Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. Journal of Religion and Health, 1-11.
  6. Labonte, C. C., Farsijani, S., Marliss, E. B., Gougeon, R., Morais, J. A., Pereira, S., Bassil, M., Winter, A., Murphy, J., Combs, T.P., & Chevalier, S. (2017). Plasma amino acids versus conventional predictors of insulin resistance measured by the hyperinsulinemic clamp. Journal of the Endocrine Society DOI: 10.1210/js.2016-1108.
  7. Hassan, H., Elaridi, J., & Bassil, M. (2017). Evaluation of gluten in gluten-free-labeled foods and assessment of exposure level to gluten among celiac patients in Lebanon. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 1-6.
  8. Bassil, M. S., & Obeid, O. A. (2016). Phosphorus Supplementation Recovers the Blunted Diet-Induced Thermogenesis of Overweight and Obese Adults: A Pilot Study. Nutrients, 8(12), 801.
  9. Bassil, M., Daher, C. F., Mroueh, M., & Zeeni, N. (2015). Salvia libanotica improves glycemia and serum lipid profile in rats fed a high fat diet. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 15(1), 1.
  10. Ayoub, J. J., Samra, M. J. A., Hlais, S. A., Bassil, M. S., & Obeid, O. A. (2015). Effect of phosphorus supplementation on weight gain and waist circumference of overweight/obese adults: a randomized clinical trial. Nutrition & Diabetes, 5(12), e189.
  11. Zeeni, N., Bassil, M., Fromentin, G., Chaumontet, C., Darcel, N., Tome, D., & Daher, C. F. (2015). Environmental enrichment and cafeteria diet attenuate the response to chronic variable stress in rats. Physiology & Behavior, 139, 41-49.
  12. Mattar, L., Zeeni, N., & Bassil, M. (2015). Effect of movie violence on mood, stress, appetite perception and food preferences in a random population. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 69(8), 972.
  13. Chevalier, S., Burgos, S. A., Morais, J. A., Gougeon, R., Bassil, M., Lamarche, M., & Marliss, E. B. (2015). Protein and glucose metabolic responses to hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and hyperaminoacidemia in obese men. Obesity, 23(2), 351-358.
  14. Hazim, J., Hlais, S., Ghattas, H., Shatila, D., Bassil, M., & Obeid, O. (2014). Phosphorus supplement alters postprandial lipemia of healthy male subjects: a pilot cross-over trial. Lipids in Health and Disease, 13:109.
  15. Bassil, M. S., & Gougeon, R. (2013). Muscle protein anabolism in type 2 diabetes. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 16(1), 83-88.

Academic degrees

Ø PhD in Human Nutrition, McGill University, QC, Canada

Ø MS in Nutrition, American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Ø BS in Nutrition and Dietetics, American University of Beirut, Lebanon


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