The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Khalil Diab sits down with physician and musician John Lebanon to explore growing up in Beirut, discovering music during Lebanon’s power outages, balancing medicine with creativity, and the story behind his latest album, Kite Without a String. They discuss songwriting, Lebanese identity, independent music, live performance, and why success can simply mean creating something me...

How do expert clinicians actually think? Why do diagnostic errors happen? And can artificial intelligence improve clinical reasoning without replacing physicians? In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Raja-Elie Abdulnour, Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Editor-in-Chief of NEJM Clinician and Chief Clinical Innovation Of...

How does someone who never ran growing up become a Boston Marathon qualifier and sub-3-hour marathoner? In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, Rahul Nandi shares his remarkable journey from running his first marathon in India to completing more than 50 marathons and chasing a sub-2:50 finish. We discuss consistency, training, mindset, nutrition, injury prevention, and the lessons runn...

Clinical trials save lives but why does it often take years before a study can enroll its first patient? In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, Dr. Khalil Diab sits down with oncologist, physician executive, author, and Chief Medical Officer of Ryght AI, Chadi Nabhan, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming clinical trial site selection, feasibility assessments, and stu...

Money is a topic that affects nearly every relationship, yet it can be one of the most difficult conversations for couples to have. In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, Dr. Khalil Diab speaks with Sami Al Natour about the communication patterns that often emerge when couples discuss spending, saving, debt, investing, and major life decisions. The conversation explores how personal e...

What happens when a successful oncologist leaves clinical practice to help develop cancer treatments on a global scale? In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, Dr. Safi Shahda shares his journey from academic oncology to leadership roles at Eli Lilly, Intellia Therapeutics, and AstraZeneca. We discuss career transitions, pharma misconceptions, innovation, AI in drug development, mentor...

In this episode of the Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I sit down with hypertension researcher Dr. Farah Allouch to discuss the growing global hypertension epidemic affecting over 1.7 billion people worldwide. We explore the widening healthcare inequality gap between high- and low-income countries, barriers to treatment, prevention strategies, the role of AI and digital health, and why uncontrolled b...

Can cancer care be delivered virtually without compromising quality? In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I speak with Dr. Dany Matar about Color, the first ASCO-certified virtual cancer clinic in the United States. We discuss how artificial intelligence, multidisciplinary expert review, and virtual oncology are improving access to world-class cancer care, shortening time to diagnos...

Most physicians spend decades mastering medicine, but very little time building their visibility. In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I sit down with digital strategist and entrepreneur Roy Abdo, founder and CEO of Digital Revamp, to discuss how physicians can use storytelling, LinkedIn, AI, and social media to establish authority, grow their reputation, and unlock new opportunitie...

In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I sit down with immigration attorney and former leader of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Sarah Peterson, to break down the rapidly evolving U.S. immigration landscape and its profound impact on healthcare. With over 600 policy changes introduced in a short period, international medical graduates (IMGs), who make up nearly 25% of th...

In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Carmen Geha, political scientist, scholar activist, and leadership expert, to explore how academia can respond to crisis, trauma, and societal breakdown. Drawing from her experience at the American University of Beirut during some of Lebanon’s most turbulent years—including the economic collapse, COVID-19 pandemic, and the Bei...

In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Zakia Dimassi, a leader in medical education at Khalifa University, to explore an often overlooked issue in simulation-based training: fatigue in standardized patients (SPs). Drawing from her recent publication in Clinical Simulation in Nursing, Dr. Dimassi sheds light on how physical, cognitive, and most importantly emotional...

On April 8, 2026, intense Israeli airstrikes on the middle of day in Beirut led to around 250 dead people and more than 1100 wounded with a lot of people still missing under the rubble. In this powerful episode of the Lebanese Physicians Podcast, we take you inside the devastating events of April 8, 2026. With dozens reported dead and hundreds injured, hospitals across the city rapidly activated e...

In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I sit down with Christophe Zoghby, founder of ZAKA AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is moving beyond hype and into real-world impact across the MENA region. From launching in the Beirut AI community to building one of the region’s leading AI education and implementation platforms, Christophe shares his journey of turning passion into pu...

In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, we explore the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and mental health—and ask a critical question: Can AI truly support emotional well-being safely and effectively? I sit down with Srishti Srivastava, the founder of Healo, an innovative mental health AI based platform now active in over 165 countries, to discuss how AI is tran...

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Dr. Shereen Nabhani-Gebara, Professor of Oncology and Pharmacy at Kingston University and a leader in the EU-funded MULTIPULM project. We discuss how digital health innovations have the potential to transform the care of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The conversation explores the...

n this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I speak with Dr. Aline Charabaty about her journey from Lebanon to becoming a leader in gastroenterology, inflammatory bowel disease, and women’s leadership in medicine. She shares insights on building IBD programs, the mission of Scrubs & Heels, mentorship and sponsorship, social media in education, and how women physicians can thrive while l...

In this powerful episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, we sit down with entrepreneur and consultant Zina Malas, Founder & CEO of Tawlé Consultancy, to discuss migration, identity, ambition, and the difficult choices many Lebanese professionals face. ⚠️ Important context: This conversation was recorded two weeks before the war began in Lebanon, which gives the discussion an even deeper me...

Can something as simple as walking or running rival antidepressants? In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Farid Talih, American board–certified psychiatrist, sleep medicine and addiction specialist, to explore the powerful science behind exercise as a treatment for depression and anxiety. We dive into: How exercise reshapes the brain through BDNF (brain-derived n...

In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, we sit down with Nabila Rahhal, former LinkedIn MENA Insider, journalist, and content strategist, to explore the powerful intersection between algorithm and authenticity. Nabila shares her journey from education to journalism, her years at Executive Magazine, and her transition to LinkedIn’s news and content ecosystem before reinventing herself o...

In this powerful episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Rana Hajjeh, a global public health leader whose career has spanned over three decades at the heart of epidemic response, vaccine policy, and global health diplomacy. From her early training as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer at the CDC to leading outbreak responses to meningitis, Ebola, MERS, and COVI...

In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, we sit down again with Christelle Bashi, clinical dietitian and founder of Yes You Can Clinic in Lebanon, for an honest and practical conversation about New Year’s resolutions, nutrition, and long-term lifestyle change. Why do 80% of people abandon their health goals within weeks? How do stress, economic pressure, culture, and unrealistic expecta...

What happens when a carefully built academic career no longer feels aligned with who you are becoming? In this episode, we sit down with Pamela Abi Khalil Maalouf, who made the bold leap from a successful career in research and grant administration at AUBMC to founding Bites on Boards—a creative, passion-driven business built from courage, curiosity, and reinvention. With an MSc and MBA, Pamela on...

في هذه الحلقة العميقة والصريحة، نناقش الرحلة الكاملة للانتقال من العمل داخل شركة عالمية بحجم سامسونج إلى عالم ريادة الأعمال وبناء الشركات من الصفر. نتحدث عن: لحظة اتخاذ القرار وكم كان الخوف والشك جزءًا منها الفرق الحقيقي بين ثقافة الشركات العالمية وشركات العائلة كيف تنتقل من بيئة منظمة إلى حرية ومسؤولية العمل لحسابك اختيار الفرصة الصحيحة، بناء الفريق الأول، والتعامل مع المخاطر التمويل، القرارات ال...

From the classrooms of Lebanese American University to hospital leadership in the United States, Mazen Samadishares an honest, insightful journey across healthcare systems. In this episode, we explore what it takes to transition from Lebanon to the U.S., how the role of pharmacists has evolved into clinical and leadership domains, and where American healthcare is headed—from AI and value-based car...