Dr. Raya Saab

American University of Beirut Medical Center

Dr. Saab is Deputy Director of the Children’s Cancer Institute, and Director of Pediatric Cancer Research Program at the American University of Beirut Medical Center.

Appointments: (+961) 1 350 000 to schedule.

Riad El Solh Street
Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon
Phone: (+961) 1 350 000, extension 4780 or 8100
E-mail: rs88@aub.edu.lb

Dr. Saab is a Pediatric Oncologist and Associate Professor at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon. She has American Board Certifications in Pediatrics and in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.

Currently, Dr. Saab is the Deputy Director at the Children’s Cancer Institute, and Director of the Pediatric Cancer Research Program. Her research focuses on the biology underlying tumor progression, aiming to identify effective targets for novel treatment approaches to childhood cancers. This includes basic research into cellular senescence as a tumor suppressor mechanism, and translational research into novel approaches for treatment of childhood solid tumors. Her clinical research aims at better understanding the characteristics and outcome of pediatric solid tumors in Lebanon.

Dr. Saab is also actively involved in leading local, regional and international collaborations in clinical, educational, and research activities, aiming to improve treatment and outcome of children with cancer in Lebanon and the Mediterranean, North Africa, and Near East regions. This includes development of local and regional collaborative networks, research infrastructure, and implementation research into improving diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of children with cancer.

June 1995 – May, 1999	American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon Doctor of Medicine
June 2000 – June 2003	Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Pediatric Residency, Duke University Medical Center
July 2003 – June 2006	St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship
July 2006 – June 2007	St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA Pediatric Solid Tumor Oncology Fellowship

Ghayad S, Rammal G, Ghamloush F, Nasr R, Diab M, Chelala C, Saab R. Rhabdomyosarcoma-derived exosomes affect invasive properties of recipient cells and carry differential miRNA cargo by histologic subtype. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37088

Saab R, Merabe Z, Abboud M, Muwakkit S, Noun P, Gemayel G, Bechara E, Khalifeh H, Farah R, Kabbara N, El-Khoury T, Al-Yousef R, Haidar R, Saghieh S, Eid T, Akel S, Khoury N, Krasin MJ, Jeha S, El-Solh H. A collaborative pediatric bone tumor program to improve access to specialized care- an initiative by the Lebanese Children’s Oncology Group. J Global Oncol 2016. doi: 10.1200/JGO.2016.003103

Basma HA, Ghayad SE, Harajly M, Ghamloush F, Dweik L, El-Eit R, Zalzali H, Rabeh W, Pisano C, Darwiche N, Saab R. The synthetic retinoid ST1926 as a novel therapeutic agent in rhabdomyosarcoma. Int J Cancer, 2016; 138(6): 1528-37

Harajly M, Zalzali H, Nawaz Z, Ghayad S, Ghamloush F, Basma HA, Zainedine S, Rabeh W, Jabbour M, Tawil A, Badro D, Evan GI, Saab R. P53 restoration in induction and maintenance of senescence – differential effects in premalignant and malignant tumor cells. Mol Cell Biol, 2015; 36(3):438-51

Abou Ali B, Hirmas N, Wakim R, Muwakkit S, Abboud M, El Solh H, Saab R. Clinical approach to non-neutropenic fever in pediatric oncology patients – a single institution study. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015; 62(12): 2167-71

Zalzali H, Harajly M, Ghayyad S, Ghamloush F, Evan GI, Saab R. CDK2 transcriptional repression is an essential effector in p53-dependent cellular senescence – implications for therapeutic intervention. Mol Cancer Res 2015; 13(1): 29-40