The 11th Biomedical Research Days Conference: A Regional Conference Like No Other

On May 9th 2025, Amani Slika and I inaugurated the opening ceremony of the 11th Biomedical Research Days Conference at the American University of Beirut , spearheaded & organized by Prof. Assaad A. Eid & a lengthy team of organizers and executers who are too numerous to count, but without whom none of it would have been possible. As co-masters of the ceremony, Amani and I were tasked with the honor & privilege of helping organize, orient, and lead the event as smoothly as possible. A charge which, might I add, we upheld remarkably as per witness testimony.

160 abstracts were submitted to the conference, 16 of which were selected for oral presentations with the rest displayed as posters in SML Plaza. The 3 themes for this year's conference were: Regenerative Medicine, Neuroscience, & AI in Medicine. The conference was thus divided into Plenary Sessions spanning these themes, each of which began with a talk by one of our plethora of keynote speakers, including:

• Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School & Director of the Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation Program Dr. Jamil R. Azzi MD, PhD 's talk on Translational Regenerative Medicine from Bench to Bedside.
• Professor Charbel Massaad , Head of the Myelination & Neurodegenerative Disorders Team at INSERM 's talk on Translational Molecular Neuroscience & Peripheral Neuropathies.
• Professor of Psychiatry at Université Paris-Saclay and Director of Research at INSERM Prof. Jean-Luc Martinot's talk on the Neuropsychiatry Underlying Mental Health in Adolescents.
• Radiation Oncologist at the Centre universitaire de santé McGill | McGill University Health Centre & Research Director at the McGill Radiation Oncology Residency Program Dr. James Man Git Tsui 's talk on the Elucidation of Artificial Intelligence Systems & the Applications of AI in Medicine.

Each speaker delivered inspiring & thought-provoking presentations which highlighted the breadth & depth of scientific innovation, rigor, & contribution brought on by their work into the research community, sparking scientific debate and intellectual curiosity amongst the audience. To all of the esteemed guests & speakers, thank you for enriching our Conference with your presence & contributions!

My Humble Contribution To The Conference...

The Creation Of A Thousand Forests Lies in One Acorn ~ R.W. Emerson

I have always tried to live my life by the motto "Sic Parvis Magna", which in its literal translation means "Thus, from small things, greatness." For utilitarian purposes, I commonly say that it means "Greatness from Small Beginnings". It has a better ring to it and flows smoother on the tongue. But enough semantics, back to our main point...

I've worked in the R-MB Neurogenetics Lab under the expert guidance and mentorship of Dr. Rose-Mary Boustany for the past 3 years now, juggling medical school with being a Research Assistant examining the Cellular & Molecular Mechanisms underlying Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Pathogenesis as a result of newly identified Lebanese ASD susceptibility genes. Suffice to say that the work we do in the lab significantly satisfies the dreams & cravings for innovative and groundbreaking translational research of 8 year-old Joe back when he was still in school learning Biology for the first time...

The project which I have been working on for those past 3 years was selected for Oral Presentation at the Conference during the Neuroscience Plenary Session. I was grateful and honored to have the opportunity to display my work for the scientific community at AUB to see, and was thrilled with the positive feedback and engagement which ensued from Faculty, Researchers, & Peers alike.

Although I can't share many of the details about the project on here just yet since it's currently in the process of being published (you'll have access to it soon enough with a follow-up post upon publication, no worries), it is benign to mention that it examines the cellular & molecular effects of a novel Lebanese ASD-associated mutation which was identified in a Lebanese proband with ASD. The project outlines the impact of this mutation on differential ubiquitination, cellular proliferation & metabolism, and the microtubule network, to name some aspects, and provides a detailed mechanistic outline of how this mutation goes about affecting all of these processes in the cell, potentially leading to ASD pathogenesis.

It was an even greater privilege & honor to have been selected as the winner of the Best Oral Presentation! This was a moment which I will continue to cherish deeply for a lifetime... During the 10th Biomedical Research Days Conference at AUB, I had been selected for poster presentation, and was able to secure the Best Poster Presentation Award in Neuroscience during that year. However, this year's victory felt much sweeter. There's just something unequivocally thrilling about being able to orally present you work to a large crowd, with the back-and-forth of questions that ensue as a result and the interesting discussions that arise. There's really no equivalent to it.

It's either that, or that my mother was right and that I love hearing myself talk way too much. I guess we'll never know and some things are just bound to remain a mystery...

...& To The Place of Medical Students in Research!

Research holds more than just a special place in my heart, it constitutes a significant portion of my future career plans as well! I cannot see myself other than as a physician-scientist, bridging clinical knowledge with cutting edge translational research to not only deepen our understanding of the pathophysiology behind diseases, but also work on novel therapeutics that will benefit patients in a real & substantial way!

That was my motivation behind seeking a research position during medical school, as well as enlisting in the Faculty of Medicine's Scholarly Concentration Track (SCT), spearheaded by Dr. Fouad A. Zouein & Martine Elbejjani . This program has allowed me to pursue my research aspirations even further by providing me with mentorship, as well as dedicated lab time during my final year of medical school to work on research. A special shoutout goes out to all of my fellow SCT members of the class of '26, particularly Omar Shmoury , a fellow medical student & colleague in the lab who presented a stellar poster presentation during the conference on the phenotyping of the CLN6-nclf mouse model of the Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 6 disease.

Concluding Remarks & Acknowledgments

In short, the American University of Beirut 's 11th Biomedical Research Days Conference, 2025 was a staggering success, both generally and personally. It was an experience which I will cherish deeply and carry with me moving forward, fueling further scientific endeavors and international conference conquests in the name of cutting-edge science!

Special acknowledgements go to:

• The patients & families involved in our research, without whom none of this would have been possible. To you, I pledge a lifetime of scientific rigor & endeavor, in the hopes of discovering enough that I might be able to offer you relief & novel therapeutic aid soon.
• The OpenMinds Foundation, for their relentless and continuous financial support of our research work, which keeps the lab up & running!
• The American University of Beirut & American University of Beirut Medical Center MPP Grant, which also funds our work & helps us do what we do best.
• Ramy Alam , Victoria Chaoul , and Katia Maalouf, PhD , fellow R-MB Neurogenetics Lab Members who had their work on display as poster presentations at the conference too.
• Assistant Professor Jihane Soueid , PhD., who was my postdoctoral research fellow when I first joined the lab and taught me much of what I know today, and since then has become her own Private Investigator & Faculty Member at the Department of Physiology of the Faculty of Medicine, where she examines neurodegeneration as a result of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) & Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).
• My PI & Mentor, Dr. Rose-Mary Boustany , who saw my potential and took me in over 3 years ago, and has since then nurtured my love for science, scientific mind, and skills, honing and sharpening me into the scientist I one day hope to become.