Mahmoud Hallal | Clinical Trials | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Mahmoud Hallal | Clinical Trials | Best Researcher Award

Lebanese University Faculty of Medical Sciences | Lebanon

Prof. Mahmoud Hallal is a distinguished clinician, educator, and leader in the field of gastroenterology, renowned for his extensive expertise in internal medicine, hepatology, and advanced therapeutic endoscopy. He began his medical journey by earning a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Baghdad University, laying the foundation for a career marked by excellence, dedication, and continuous learning. He later pursued advanced clinical training in internal medicine at Makassed General Hospital in Beirut, a center affiliated with the American University of Beirut Medical Center, where he completed a comprehensive residency followed by a rotating internship that strengthened his clinical acumen and patient-centered approach.Driven by a deep interest in digestive health and liver diseases, Prof. Hallal completed intensive post-graduate fellowship training in gastroenterology at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. His advanced training included a specialized senior fellowship focused on liver diseases and an external university training program in France, where he developed high-level competency in therapeutic bilio-pancreatic procedures and invasive endoscopy, including ERCP. This period shaped his clinical expertise and positioned him among the region’s leading specialists in advanced endoscopic interventions.Prof. Hallal’s professional credentials include medical licensure as a physician, internist, and gastroenterologist in Lebanon. Over the course of his career, he has held several major hospital leadership roles, including serving as the head of gastroenterology and endoscopy departments and contributing as assistant chief of staff for academic development at Al Zahraa University Hospital Medical Center. He also held senior administrative and clinical leadership roles at Rassoul Al-Aazam Hospital, where he oversaw both internal medicine and gastroenterology divisions.An influential academic figure, Prof. Hallal serves as a clinical assistant professor of gastroenterology at the Lebanese University Faculty of Medical Sciences. He has also served as a clinical instructor, lecturer, fellowship program coordinator, and undergraduate thesis mentor, shaping the next generations of physicians and gastroenterologists. His academic involvement extends to national and international conferences, where he is frequently invited as a speaker in Lebanon, Abu Dhabi, Turkey, Rome, and the United Kingdom.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Boutari, R., Zayour, N., Hmedeh, A. N., Bashashi, D. K., Assaf, F., Al Tahan, J., Zrara, N., Al-Mokdad, N., Al Khatib, O., Zreik, A., et al. (2025). Prevalence, risk factors, and endoscopic findings of Helicobacter pylori infection among Lebanese patients undergoing gastroscopy: A retrospective study from a single tertiary center.

Albert Eisenbarth | Clinical Trials | Best Scholar Award

Dr. Albert Eisenbarth | Clinical Trials | Best Scholar Award

Entomologe at Bundeswehr Hospital Hamburg | Germany

Dr. Albert Eisenbarth is a biologist specializing in parasitology, vector biology, and emerging infectious diseases. He earned his doctorate at the University of Tübingen, focusing on Onchocerca ochengi and its relevance to river blindness epidemiology. His career spans international research assignments across Africa, Asia, and Europe, contributing to studies on vector-borne diseases, zoonotic pathogens, and host-parasite interactions. Dr. Eisenbarth has worked at prestigious institutions including the Friedrich Loeffler Institute for Animal Health and the University of Tübingen. With over a decade of field and laboratory expertise, his work bridges veterinary medicine, parasitology, and global health, advancing infectious disease control strategies.

Publication Profile 

Scopus

Education 

Dr. Albert Eisenbarth completed his MSc in Parasitology at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, where he conducted his thesis on anisakid nematodes in Australian waters. He pursued doctoral studies at the University of Tübingen, earning his Doctor of Biology degree with a thesis on the biology of Onchocerca ochengi and its epidemiological implications for river blindness. His academic training also included international research exchanges at the University of Melbourne, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, the University of Cape Town, and Kasetsart University in Bangkok. His education combines parasitology, vector biology, and tropical infectious disease research.

Experience 

Dr. Albert Eisenbarth has held diverse research and professional roles. He served as a Research Fellow at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute for Animal Health, working on novel and emerging infectious diseases. Previously, he completed his doctoral and postdoctoral research at the University of Tübingen and in Cameroon within the Onchocerciasis Programme. His career includes positions as Clinical Data Manager at Kendle GmbH and scientific assistant roles at the University of Tübingen. He has undertaken extensive international assignments in Mozambique, Mauritania, Cameroon, Thailand, France, Australia, and South Africa. His expertise encompasses parasitology, vector ecology, epidemiology, and zoonotic disease transmission at the human-animal interface.

Awards and Honors 

Dr. Albert Eisenbarth has received multiple awards and grants for his scientific contributions. He co-coordinated major DFG-funded projects investigating zoonotic viral transmission, including Rift Valley Fever and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Africa. As principal investigator, he secured a RiSC Young Scientist grant for research on genetic susceptibility to tick-borne diseases in African cattle. His international collaborations earned him a South East Asia–European Union NET II Fellowship, supporting One Health research. He has also been recognized with travel grants from the German Society for Parasitology and the Erwin Riesch Foundation. Additionally, he was awarded DAAD fellowships for both MSc and doctoral studies.

Research Focus 

Dr. Albert Eisenbarth research focuses on parasitology, vector-borne diseases, and zoonotic infections affecting both human and animal health. He has conducted extensive work on the epidemiology of Onchocerca volvulus and Onchocerca ochengi, contributing to onchocerciasis control strategies. His studies include the diversity, abundance, and pathogen carriage of hematophagous vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks in Africa. Additionally, he investigates emerging viral diseases, including Rift Valley Fever and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, across the livestock-wildlife-human interface. Through molecular and field-based approaches, his work integrates parasitology, virology, and epidemiology, providing valuable insights for global health, One Health initiatives, and disease elimination programs.

Publication Top Notes

Molecular detection of Leishmania (Sauroleishmania) adleri (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) in Sergentomyia sp. sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Mali and Niger

Mosquito survey in Mauritania: Detection of Rift Valley fever virus and dengue virus and the determination of feeding patterns

Conclusion

Dr. Albert Eisenbarth possesses the academic excellence, research productivity, and global health relevance that make him a strong candidate for the Research for Best Scholar Award. His innovative studies on parasitic and vector-borne diseases, coupled with his ability to secure competitive grants and engage in international collaborations, demonstrate outstanding scholarly merit. With continued expansion into broader leadership and translational activities, he is well-positioned to further influence the fields of parasitology, epidemiology, and infectious disease research. His track record aligns with the award’s goal of recognizing impactful and forward-looking scientific scholarship.