1. "Role of Cytokines in Hypoxia-related Injury"
2. "The Effect of Topiramate in the Acute Hypoxia in the Developing Rat Brain"
3. "Perinatal Hypoxia-induced Apoptosis: New Insights"
4. "Regulation of Gap Junctions After Acute Hypoxia in the Developing Rat Brain"
5. "Effect of Phenobarbital on Post-status Epilepticus Programmed Cell Death in the Hippocampal Neurons"
6. "Does Quinine Prevent the Consequences of Perinatal Hypoxia?"
7. "Quality of Life in Patients with Epilepsy and in Patients with Mental Retardation"
8. "Efficacy and Tolerability of Levetiracetam in Children Less Than Two Years of Age"
9. "Pilot Study of JNK3 Mutations in Patients with Lennox Gastaut Syndrome" 

1. The Lebanese Inter-hospital Pneumococcal Surveillance Program (LIPSP) (more) (pdf format)
    
2. Basic science research is focused on the role of the sphingolipid ceramide in the stress response. The major question that was investigated over the past few years is the relationship between the tumor suppressor p53, a known regulator of the stress response, and ceramide. We set out to determine the molecular pathways that are used by p53 to regulate ceramide. Our work has shown that p53 preferentially utilizes the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis to regulate ceramide accumulation and that ceramide is predominantly produced by De novo synthesis. These studies were funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, USA and have now been submitted for publication.
   
   
3. More recently, and because of Dr Dbaibo's clinical interest in infectious diseases and the host immune response to them, he pursued two additional projects that explore the role of ceramide in the stress response to infection. The first is the regulation of protein kinase C q (PKCq) by ceramide. He recently discovered that ceramide inhibits this kinase, and this results in the inhibition of production of interleukin-2 in response to T cell activation, thus inducing a state of immunosuppression. His research team is currently examining the mechanisms by which ceramide inhibits PKCq and, in the future, plans to pursue the role of this inhibition during the immune response, activation-induced cell death and bacterial sphingomyelinases produced during bacterial infection. It is hoped that these studies will provide insight into novel areas of immune regulation in the context of infection that could uncover new targets for therapeutic intervention.
   
   
4. The second project is the regulation of ceramide during adenoviral infection. The general area of viral regulation of lipid mediators is unexplored. Dr Dbaibo's team has discovered that adenovirus infection induces ceramide accumulation in the cell and that this accumulation is not only part of the cellular stress response to infection, but is also necessary for completion of the viral lytic cycle. They now have preliminary evidence to show that during adenoviral infection, ceramide might be involved in the regulation of alternative splicing of cellular and viral genes by regulating SR proteins. These studies have now been submitted for publication. In the future, Dr Dbaibo plans to map the adenoviral genes that regulate ceramide. These studies could potentially uncover new targets for intervention during viral infection. Alternatively, new tools for use in regulating cellular ceramide levels, such as an adenoviral gene that induces p53-independent accumulation of ceramide, might be discovered. This will have applications in several diseases, such as cancer, where this is desirable.

1. The Practice and Teaching of Evidence-Based Medicine:
   The plan in this area of research is to move towards international collaboration with Evidence-Based Medicine teachers in the field of medical education. This has already started with the first research abstract accepted for oral presentation in the Third International Conference for Evidence-Based Health Care Teachers and Developers, Sicily, November 2005. The focus of future research will be on providing evidence on the effectiveness of EBHC teaching in improving knowledge, skills and attitude of health professionals and providing evidence on the effectiveness of evidence-based practice in improving patient health outcomes.
    
2. Hepatitis B in Lebanon:
   Dr Nabulsi has succeeded in being the researcher who has published most of the data on Hepatitis B in Lebanon in the recent 10 years. In addition, she established “The Lebanese Collaborative Hepatitis B Study Group” in June 2002, which is a voluntary collaboration of 22 health professionals from all districts of Lebanon, with a mission to collect data on Hepatitis B from all the country for reporting, research purposes and the preparation for a national registry on Hepatitis B.
    
3. Fever and Antipyretics in Children:
   Recently, two randomized controlled trials on antipyretic therapy have been accepted for publication.
    
4. Children as Subjects of Clinical Trials:
   It is also a new field of research that needs to be explored with qualitative research methods. This will be my focus for the coming three years. Since clinical trials are the best study designs for investigating the effects of drugs, factors that hinder or promote children’s participation in clinical trials need to be explored in depth. It is my experience that in our culture, parents refuse that their children be subjects of any kind of research, and, thus, this field of research is vital for clinical research in pediatric medicine.
    
5. Hypovitaminosis D in Children and Its Effects on the Skeletal System:
   It involves collaborative research with Dr Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan, Director of the Calcium Metabolism and Osteoporosis Program at AUBMC, that is expected to continue over the coming five years.
   
    

Since its inception in 1998, the National Collaborative Perinatal Neonatal Network held important projects in addition to the maternal and perinatal neonatal database covering all deliveries and neonates admitted to  23 hospitals in Lebanon. Current projects include:

1. The Epidemiology of Cytomegalovirus in Beirut: A Multicenter Study
   
2. Consanguinity and Congenital Malformations: A Study of Prevalence and Association in the Lebanese Population
   
3. Global Partnerships for Perinatal Health Network (GPPHN)
4. Establishing a Neonatal Resuscitation Programme in Lebanon|
   *For more information please visit the National Collaborative Perinatal Neonatal Network website: http:\\ncpnn.org (link)
    

1. Currently working on a research grant on quality of life in children with mental retardation
2. In addition to the current research, the plan for next year is to study the incidence of obesity in the prepubertal age group and its correlation with HbA1C. Another aspect of research is the incidence of motor vehicle accidents and promoting prevention in childhood and adolescence.

1. We continue our research on the establishment of a Pediatric Multidisciplinary Bone Tumor Program in Lebanon. We are reviewing the abstract and will be submitting the abstract for publication and to SIOP for the second year.
   
2. Currently, we are reviewing the CCCL medulloblastoma cases, and we have collaborated in looking into the molecular features with Dr. Pierre Zallouaa.
   
3. A study was conducted to determine the direct costs of medical care of Lebanese children with cancer in different diagnosis groups and to define factors influencing these costs. The study has been completed and was presented at SIOP 2004. This year, we will be working on concluding it and preparing it for publication.
   
4. We are currently conducting a chart review on the mortality and morbidity of sickle cell disease at AUBMC in the last 20 years.
   
5. We worked on a new protocol for the treatment of leukemia at CCCL. It was submitted to IRB for approval.
   
6. Molecular genetics of different hemoglobinopathies seen at AUBMC
   
7. A multicenter clinical trial (Bristol Myers Squibb) was conducted of which the Children’s Cancer Center at AUBMC was part. The title of the trial is "A Phase II Randomized Non-Comparative Trial of Irinotecan and Carboplatin vs. Irinotecan in Subjects 1 - 21 Years of Age with Refractory Solid Tumors Protocol Number: CA124002".
    

1. Studies of the effect of chronic hypoxia on the myocardium in an animal model mimicking cyanotic congenital heart disease. I am also interested in studying the effect of chronic hypoxia on various systems, including the endocrine, central nervous and others. The study of the adaptive molecular mechanisms of the myocardium to chronic hypoxia and its relationship with apoptosis, sphingolipid pathways, signaling and transcription factors are among my interests. By understanding these mechanisms, one could develop an interventional approach to protect the hypoxic myocardium in children with cyanotic heart disease. 
   
2. Another important area of research is the collaboration with Dr. George Nemer (Biochemistry). The mutual research interest concentrates on the study of molecular basis of Congenital Heart Disease. Significant work in this area has been done over  the past two years. Work in this area carries a lot of potential with collaboration being established with renowned researchers from Canada, USA and France.
3. Studies are also performed on the study of the epidemiology and outcome of congenital and acquired heart disease in developing countries. 
   
4. In collaboration with Dr. Kinda Khalaf (Faculty of Engineering and Architecture), we are developing a novel intelligent control hypoxic chamber. This device is a combination of DAQ (Data Acquisition Box), PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and a Data Logger. It will allow progress of research in areas that mimic clinical conditions, like cyanotic heart disease, sleep/apnea syndrome and others.
    

1. "Tubular Transport Defect in Liddle’s Syndrome and Bartter’s Syndrome" - studies with hypotonic saline diuresis and free water clearances
   
2. "Genetic Heterogeneity in Patients with Liddle’s and Bartter’s Syndromes" - in collaboration with Rick Lifton, MD, and Ali Hariri, MD, Yale University School of Medicine
   
3. "Gene Mapping of the Sanjad-Sakati Syndrome (Congenital Hypoparathyroidism with Dysmorphism)" - collaborative study with Bruce Gelb, MD, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York
   
4. "Molecular Genetic Studies in Patients with the Familial Hypomagnesemia - Hypercalciuria Syndrome" - collaborative study with Drs Ali Hariri and Richard Lifton at Yale University Medical Center
   
5. "Studies in Tyrosinemia Type I. The Effect of NTBC on the Clinical and Biochemical Profile of Patients with Tyrosinemia" - international collaborative study
   
6. "DNA Linkage Analysis in Patients with Hepatorenal Glycogenosis and Fanconi’s Syndrome Associated with Phosphorylase B-kinase Deficiency" - in collaboration with Dr. Manfred Killiman, Bochum, Germany
   
7. "The Genetic Basis of Renal Tubular Acidosis" - a collaborative study with Fiona Karet, MD, and Rick Lifton, MD, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom, and Yale University School of Medicine
   
8. "Post Renal Transplantation Tubulopathies" - ongoing study of tubular function in children following cadaveric vs. living-related kidney transplant
   
9. "Correlation Between Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents with Urinary Electrolyte Excretion"