Biography

Dr. Nada El Darra is the Chairperson of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Beirut Arab University (BAU) and a Full Professor of Food Safety and Technology at the Faculty of Health Sciences. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Life and Earth Sciences and her Master’s degree in Food Chemistry from Saint-Joseph University, Lebanon, in 2007. In 2013, she obtained her PhD in Industrial Process Engineering and Sustainable Development from the University of Technology of Compiègne, France.

Following her PhD, Dr. El Darra worked as a Quality Manager in the canning food industry and spice sector. In 2014, she joined the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Beirut Arab University as an Assistant Professor. In 2017, she became Coordinator of the MSc Program in Food Safety and Analysis, and in 2024, she was promoted to Full Professor of Food Safety and Technology.

Dr. El Darra is currently a member of the Food Safety Committee of the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health and an active member of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA). She has received research grants and funding from several international and regional organizations, including AGYA, DAAD, UNIDO, CNRS, and joint research funds with Abu Dhabi University. She has published approximately 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles and has a Google Scholar h-index of 31, reflecting a strong academic and research impact.

Her research expertise spans food safety, food chemistry, food technology, food waste valorization, green extraction technologies, chemical and biological contaminants, mycotoxins, pesticide and antibiotic residues, and the development of innovative and sustainable food-processing approaches. Her recent research also incorporates artificial intelligence and advanced technologies for food safety and quality assessment, as well as the valorization of agricultural and food-processing by-products within a circular-economy framework.

Dr. El Darra has established extensive international collaborations with academic and research institutions, including the University of Glasgow, University of Saskatchewan, University of Technology of Compiègne, research centers in Italy, University of Sharjah, Abu Dhabi University, Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), and other institutions across Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

Her research contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, with a particular emphasis on food safety, sustainable food processing, resource recovery, and food-waste valorization.