Rony Abou-Khalil is an assistant professor of biochemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Having joined USEK in 2010 as a part-time lecturer-researcher, he currently serves as the Head of the Department of Biology.

His research interests encompass food and clinical biochemistry, microbiology, and health sciences. Much of his work focuses on the effects of cinnamon on weight management in Lebanese adolescents and young adults with overweight and obesity, as well as its impact on blood glucose levels with type II diabetes within the Lebanese population. Additionally, he has studied polyphenol oxidase activity, particularly its pivotal role in effective apple waste management in Lebanon. Moreover, his investigations into factors associated with the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 infection among the Lebanese population have yielded valuable insights.

Between 2018 and 2019, Rony served as a technical committee member at the Lebanese Standards Institution (LIBNOR) and as a research and development committee member at the Industrial Research Institute (IRI), where he played a key role in establishing industry standards and promoting research and development.

His commitment to advancing scientific knowledge is evident through active participation in numerous seminars, conferences, and congresses in Lebanon and around the globe.

EDUCATION

• PhD in Biochemistry, Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences – France
• MS in Biochemistry, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) – Lebanon
• BS in Biology, Lebanese University – Lebanon