AUB Professor Appointed Chair of WHO Tobacco Study Group

Professor Ghazi Zaatari

Professor Ghazi Zaatari, who chairs the AUB Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, has been appointed chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation.

Established in 2003, the Study Group works to provide comprehensive scientific research, information, and recommendations for furthering tobacco regulation and is composed of national and international experts on product regulation, smoking cessation programs, and health-policymaking.

"Your demonstrated excellence in the area, as well as your understanding of the importance of tobacco product regulation, would make you a valued and esteemed leader of the group," said Dr. Ala Alwan, WHO's assistant director general for non-communicable diseases and mental health, referring to Zaatari. "I feel really privileged by the appointment," said Zaatari. "The issue of tobacco control is an important one, and much more needs to be done. But with our collective effort, we can be more effective in this endeavor."