Notre Dame University-Louaize’s (NDU) Associate Professors at the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences (FNAS), Dr. Colette Abi Serhal Kabrita and Dr. Esther Ghanem, recently joined the esteemed ranks of the Arab Biobank Network (ABCoN) as research partners. Supported by the Arab Research, Development and Innovation Alliance (ARICA), ABCoN is a regional platform uniting Arab universities and research institutions to strengthen biobanking collaboration. Its significance lies in building shared infrastructure and knowledge tailored to the Arab world’s unique genetic and health landscape, which is often underrepresented in global datasets. By contributing to ABCoN, Lebanon now has a stronger voice in shaping precision medicine and biomedical research across the region.
At ABCoN’s inaugural conference in Cairo on July 16 and 17, 2025, Dr. Kabrita (Co-PI) chaired a session focused on ethical frameworks, data sharing, and methodological advances in biobanking. She also took part in closed-door discussions with colleagues from Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Libya, and Qatar, exploring future collaborative projects and capacity building opportunities. As the only Lebanese partners in the network, this participation emphasized the significance of representing both NDU and their country on that stage. According to them, such an opportunity lays the groundwork for cross-collaboration within the ABCoN network, fostering knowledge transfer, capacity building, and joint research. It also paves the way for regional and global research, even amidst the numerous challenges that Lebanon continues to face. For them personally, the experience reaffirmed NDU’s role as a committed and active contributor to the Arab research ecosystem.
Dr. Ghanem’s (PI) invitation to join ABCoN stemmed from her 2024 presentation at the ARICA conference, where she discussed nanoparticle applications in breast cancer, as well as her previous work on biobanking frameworks under Prof. Deltas in Cyprus. For the current meeting, she communicated with the network board the importance of integrating biobehavioral and biomedical approaches into national biobanking strategies and emphasized the need to secure research funding prior to biobanking implementation. Together, the researchers’ contributions positioned Lebanon not just as a participant, but as an active thought partner helping to shape ABCoN’s agenda.
While optimistic about the prospect of establishing a national biobank in Lebanon, both researchers acknowledged potential hurdles, including sustainable funding, alignment with international standards, and addressing ethical, cultural, and regulatory issues surrounding consent and data governance. Public trust and awareness, they stressed, will also be critical to participation. By engaging with ABCoN, however, they are confident that Lebanon can draw on shared regional expertise and frameworks to overcome these challenges.
Beyond their active participation in the conference, Dr. Ghanem and Dr. Kabrita hope their involvement inspires NDU students and graduates to pursue meaningful research. They want this milestone to show young scientists that their work can have global impact: that they are part of a broader scientific community and can drive innovation even in difficult circumstances.
Their message to aspiring researchers, particularly those in Lebanon, is clear: remain persistent, collaborative, and visionary.
“Lebanon presents challenges,” they said, “but also unique opportunities for innovation. By leveraging platforms like ABCoN and building networks with Arab and international partners, researchers can overcome limitations and find support. Scientific progress depends on sustained effort, even when the path forward is not clear. True fulfillment in science comes from collaboration: persistently reaching out to others, even when many doors remain closed, because every attempt builds new connections, insights, and opportunities that move research forward.”