| Pierre Zalloua | |
| Birth Date: | February 9, 1965 |
| Birth Place: | Zgharta, Lebanon |
| Nationality: | Lebanese |
| Fields: | Genetics |
| Workplaces: | American University of Beirut, Lebanese American University, Harvard School of Public Health |
| Alma Mater: | UC Davis, California |
Pierre Zalloua (Arabic: بيار زلّوعة; born February 9, 1965) is a Lebanese biologist. His contributions to biology include numerous researches in genetic predisposition to diseases such as type 1 diabetes and β-thalassemia.[1] He is most noted for taking part in the National Geographic Society's Genographic Project.[2]
Pierre Zalloua was born in Zgharta on February 9, 1965. He obtained his Biology degree from the American University of Beirut in 1987 and a Genetics master's degree from the San Jose State University in California in 1990. Zalloua worked on his Doctorate degree in genetics from the UC Davis between 1990 and 1996 and graduated in 1996.[2]
Dr. Pierre Zalloua was appointed Dean of Graduate Studies and Research as of October 1, 2013. His past engagements with LAU include Dean of the School of Pharmacy from October 2012 to September 2013 and Professor of Genetics at the School of Medicine. He joined LAU in 2007.He also holds the position of adjunct professor of Environmental Health at the Harvard School of Public Health.An accomplished geneticist, writer and lecturer, Dr. Zalloua is a leading authority on the genetics of complex diseases in and among Middle Eastern populations.Much of his recent investigative studies have addressed molecular anomalies observed in people with Type 1 diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD). His research interest is to identify complex disease (Type 1 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer) susceptibility genes, to study their interaction with the environment, and to correlate these interactions with disease onset and manifestation. In the last few years, he has made considerable progress in identifying diabetes and CAD disease susceptibility gene variants.Dr. Zalloua has also conducted extensive research on the genetic links between various Middle Eastern and Mediterranean populations. Recently, he has started to work in the field of population patterns of human migrations using DNA. He is currently leading an investigative team that will obtain DNA samples from indigenous populations in the Middle East and North Africa to study their genetic commonalities. This study is part of what is known as the Genographic Project (a grant from the National Geographic Society, 2006–2010).He was also the principal investigator for the FGENTCARD Project, a European Union research project (2007–2009). He was recently awarded a large grant from the Qatar National Research Foundation to study the genetic susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes.Dr. Zalloua graduated from the American University of Beirut in 1987 with a B.S. in biology. He earned his M.A. in Biological Sciences from San Jose State University in 1990, and his Ph.D. in genetics from the University of California, Davis in 1996.He completed research fellowships in genetics at the University of California, Davis (1996–1997), in molecular biology at Applied Biosystems (1997–1998), and in population genetics (1998–2001) at the Harvard School of Public Health.He was an assistant professor, and then associate professor in the school of medicine at the American University of Beirut between 2003 and 2007.
Dr. Zalloua received many grants from national and international organizations including: National Geographic Society, European Commission, Lown Scholar Grant- Harvard University, Qatar National Research Foundation, Eli Lilly, Lebanese National Center Scientific Research, etc...
2004 – Quest for the Phoenicians (PBS)
2009 – CNN: Inside the Middle East. watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP7TcPj7UAE
2007 – Kalam el Nass – LBC. watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoPGLFY1Lxs
2004 – National Geographic Television. 1 Hour film featuring work on the genetic patterns of human migrations in the Middle East, aired on National Geographic Television worldwide and the PBS TV station in the US and Canada.
2004 – National Geographic Magazine. 22 page feature article in the October issue, 2004 that features study on the genetic patterns of human migrations in the Middle East.
2004 – National Geographic Magazine (French Version). 22 page feature article in the November issue, 2004 that features study on the genetic patterns of human migrations in the Middle East.