Lebanese Preventive Medicine Alliance

Our Story

From a research exchange in Coimbra to a national alliance for prevention in Lebanon.

  • Our founders together in Portugal
  • Our founders together in Portugal
  • Joana Rehayel at the bench, University of Coimbra
  • Our founders together in Portugal
  • Rayan Rehayel running a protein transfer
  • Pipetting samples inside a biosafety cabinet
  • Preparing tissue samples on ice
  • Handling cell culture plates
  • Cell culture work with a serological pipette
  • Culture flasks inside the laminar flow hood

The founders during the PAS GRAS research exchange at the Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal.

The Lebanese Preventive Medicine Alliance (LPMA) is a national, student-led, interdisciplinary initiative founded by Rayan Rehayel and Joana Rehayel, medical students at Beirut Arab University (BAU) in Beirut, Lebanon, together with Professor Eugénia Carvalho of the Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra (CNC-UC), Portugal.

The idea for LPMA developed during Rayan and Joana’s research exchange at the Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of the University of Coimbra (CNC-UC), Portugal, under the supervision of Professor Carvalho.

During the exchange, their involvement with PAS GRAS; “De-risking metabolic, environmental, and behavioral determinants of obesity in children, adolescents and young adults”, offered direct insight into how scientific research, health literacy, community engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration can be integrated to address preventable disease. PAS GRAS is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action co-coordinated by Professor Carvalho that examines the interaction of lifestyle, mental health, family, socioeconomic, environmental, genetic, and metabolic factors in the development of obesity.

Inspired by this experience, the Founders sought to adapt these principles to Lebanon’s broader health priorities. LPMA was therefore established as a national platform through which students, professionals, researchers, universities, and community stakeholders could work together to strengthen prevention through education, research, advocacy, and meaningful community action.

LPMA was also founded in loving memory of Rayan and Joana’s late mother, who passed away from stage IV lung cancer. Her experience gave the initiative a deeply personal purpose and strengthened the Founders’ determination to promote awareness, encourage earlier action, reduce preventable health risks, and help create healthier futures for other individuals and families.

What began as an idea during a research exchange consequently became a shared commitment: to help make prevention a more visible, valued, and actionable part of health and society in Lebanon.

Individual action. Collective prevention. A healthier Lebanon.