Hiba N. Rajha
About me
I am an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Petrochemical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of Saint Joseph University of Beirut.
My main research interest is the valorization of agro-industrial by-products by polyphenols extraction and purification. After recovering these highly bioactive molecules, I use nanotechnology to improve their potential applications in many fields such as cosmetics, pharmaceutics, material science, and functional foods.
The aim of my research is to contribute to sustainable development by reducing and reusing waste, to suggest industrial applications of polyphenols powders, and to contribute to the circular economy by the implementation of a polyphenol extraction industry.
My AGYA membership allows me to be part of interdisciplinary research projects with high societal impact. It also allows me to help bridge cultures, empower women, and raise awareness to make the world a better place.
Academic career
2020 - today | Assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Petrochemical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon |
2021 - today | Senior Member at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, USA |
2019 - 2022 | Technical staff in the BESTMEDGRAPE, ENI CBCMED, European Union, project in the fields of grape valorization, waste exploitation and development of nanotechnological antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-neurodegenerative formulations |
2021 | Winner of the l‘Oréal-Unesco For Women In Science Young Talent Award |
2020 - 2021 | Winner of the IP Valorization Grants Program under the ACT Smart Innovation Hub |
2016 | First Professional Prize in the Lebanese Industrial Research Achievement Award, Forum of Technology and Industrial Innovation, from the Ministry of Industry, Lebanon |
2015 - 2019 | Process Engineering, Process engineering department, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM), Paris |
2012 - 2015 | Ph.D. in Life Sciences - Biochemistry from Faculty of Sciences, Saint-Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon |
2012 - 2015 | Ph.D. in Process Engineering, Process engineering department, Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC), France |
2010 - 2012 | Master’s Degree in research: Structure and Interaction of Macromolecules and Functional Genomics (S.I.M.G.F), Faculty of Sciences, Saint-Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon |
- My Commitment to AGYA
- Selection Committee 'New AGYA Members' 2022
On a personal note
Favourite novel:
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
The scientist from my country you should know:
Emily Nasrallah, writer and women's rights activist