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Two
lectures on Geriatrics presented by the Women's Auxiliary on October 18
attracted a full audience--including First Lady, Mrs. Andrée Lahoud.
Assistant Professor Abla Sibai (PhD-Faculty of Health Sciences) and Thurayya
Arayssi MD (Faculty of Medicine), both discussed the diseases and problems
of the elderly as well as the pathways to healthy aging.
Abla Sibai opened her presentation by declaring that aging is the
highest point of development in one's life After detailing the signs of
aging, her lecture focused on caring for the elderly in Lebanon. She criticized
public policies for retired elderly people, noting that the needs of our
community are increasing while resources are decreasing. Abla Sibai ended
her presentation on an upbeat note, emphasizing that "aging is not
a disease, and disease is not aging".
Thurayya Arayssi began by defining the term "geriatric"
as a frail person with an interacting chronic condition which is not organically
oriented and needs comprehensive care. Arayssi also made the symptoms extremely
clear, citing sudden falls, confusion and memory loss. But, she said, healthy
aging is in our own hands. She advised people to see their doctors regularly,
eat a healthy diet, to exercise at least half an hour a day, quit smoking,
keep safe, get the necessary shots to improve immunity, use medicines safely,
and to report visual and hearing problems. She also brought up the problem
of "ageism" or discrimination against the old. "We should
add life to years and not years to life," Arayssi concluded.
After comments and questions from the audience, healthy snacks were
served as friends and acquaintances met for further discussion on this interesting
subject.
Laparoscopic
Donor Nephrectomy Program at AUBMC
The Medical Center has established the first comprehensive Laparoscopic
Donor Nephrectomy program for kidney transplantation in the Middle East.
The multidisciplinary program was initiated at the Department of Surgery
after extensive collaboration with associates in the University of Maryland
in Baltimore and the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, MA. So
far, more than a dozen cases of donor-recipient pairs have been performed
with a hundred percent success rate. AUB is currently among the few centers
worldwide (including the United States) to use this procedure .
Dr.
Rida Nuwayhid and Research Group
win Best Application Paper Award
Associate Professor Rida Nuwayhid and Professor Fadl Moukalled,
working with Mr. Ramzi Abi Said and Mr. Mohamed Daaboul from the Mechanical
Engineering Department, presented a paper at the 19th International Conference
on Thermoelectricity. The conference, which took place this year between
August 20 and 24 in Cardiff, Wales, specializes in thermoelectricity.
Their contribution, entitled "Practical Design Considerations for
a Rural Stove-Top Thermoelectric Generator," won the Best Applications
Paper Award.
Over 38 countries participated in the 4-day conference, during
which some 200 papers were given.
Dr.
Kamal Badr Chairman of Internal Medicine
Dr. Kamal
Badr recently joined AUB as Professor and Chairman of the Department of
Internal Medicine. The appointment, effective July 1, was announced by
Dr. Nadim Cortas, Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Faculty
of Medicine.
Dr. Badr received his MD from AUB in 1980 and completed his residency
at AUBMC in 1982. After training in Nephrology at the Brigham and Women's
Hospital and the Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, he joined
the faculties of Vanderbilt University and Emory University. Until his
current appointment at AUBMC he was Professor of Medicine and Chief of
the Renal Section at the Atlanta V. A. Medical Center.
Dr. Badr's research covers several aspects of glomerular function
and the pathophysiology of glomerulonephritis. His work has resulted in
over 150 publications in leading scientific journals, as well as chapters
in most nephrology textbooks and in several editions of Harrison's Principles
of Internal Medicine.
In his announcement, Dr. Cortas thanked Dr. Adel Birbari for serving
as Interim Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine from March
1, 1999 to July 1, 2000.
New Vice-Chairman of Internal Medicine
Dr. Nabil Nassar was recently appointed Vice-Chairman of the Department
of Internal Medicine. Dr. Nassar has a distinguished record of service
to the School of Medicine. In addition he has helped establish and administer
outreach and international collaboration programs for the Faculty of Medicine
and the University.
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