Hiba N. Rajha

Process Engineering,
Biochemistry

Areas of Expertise:
Agrofood waste reuse; Industrial applications of polyphenols powders in nanotechnology, cosmetics, pharmaceutics, and food

Membership:
since 2021

Contact

Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon

Faculty of Engineering, École Supérieure D'Ingénieurs De Beyrouth (ESIB)
Department of Chemical and Petrochemical Engineering
Mar Roukos - Dekwaneh
Beirut 1107 2050
Lebanon

+961 1 421 000 EXT 3443
hiba.rajha(at)usj.edu.lb
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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