Abla Mehio Sibai

Abla Mehio Sibai
Born	Lebanon
Occupation	Professor of Epidemiology
Years active	1986–present
Known for	Research on healthy ageing, social demography, and non-communicable diseases; founding member of the Center for Studies on Aging in Lebanon and AUB University for Seniors Program; Dean of Faculty of Health Sciences at AUB

Abla Mehio Sibai (Arabic: عبلة محيو السباعي) holds the position of Professor in Epidemiology at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon. Between 2020 and 2022, she acted as the Interim Dean of AUB's Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) and presently serves as its Dean. Sibai is a founding member of both the Center for Studies on Aging in Lebanon and the AUB University for Seniors Program.

Early life and education

Sibai’s initial academic interest was mathematics, yet she obtained her bachelor's degree in pharmacy from AUB in 1977. Her professional path in pharmacy was disrupted due to the conflict in Lebanon. After dedicating ten years to full-time motherhood, she pursued further education at AUB, earning a master's degree in epidemiology in 1986, followed by a PhD in epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1997.

Research and career

Her research within public health primarily addresses healthy ageing, social demography, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Sibai spearheaded Lebanon’s inaugural Global Burden of Disease study in 2002 and led the country's first NCD Behavioral Risk Factor Study in 2008. Her investigations identified a disconnect between NCD research outputs and policy implementation across Arab nations, where NCDs represent close to 60% of the total disease burden. This highlighted the importance of minimizing research inefficiencies, especially in environments with limited resources. As Director of the Center for Studies on Ageing and a co-founder of AUB’s University for Seniors program, she conducted regional assessments of ageing policies in 2007, 2012, and 2017. Additionally, she formulated Lebanon's 'National Strategy for Older Persons' in 2020 under the Ministry of Social Affairs. Over her career, Sibai has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles alongside nearly 100 chapters, reports, and policy briefs.

Other activities

• Member of the Science Council at the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2021
• Board Trustee at HelpAge International

Recognition

In 2020, Sibai was honored with the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award for her groundbreaking work and advocacy promoting healthy ageing within low- and middle-income countries, impacting both health and social policy frameworks. She received the Dr A.T. Shousha Foundation Prize in 2014 for her public health achievements and was awarded the State of Kuwait Prize for the Control of Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region in 2019. Earlier distinctions include AUB's Kiram Siniora Research Prize in Social Sciences (1990) and Best Research Award (1989).