Training, research, and collaboration in the service of innovation

A teacher-researcher at EBI since 2011 and now Head of the Development of Research Projects and National and International Public Funding, Samar Issa contributes to the development of the institution’s research by combining teaching, research, innovation, and scientific collaborations.

Science as a common thread

Before joining EBI in 2011, Samar Issa built a scientific career spanning Lebanon, France, and the United States, at the interface of pharmacy, chemistry, and biological sciences. She earned a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Lebanese University in Beirut in 2002, completing her sixth year in Clinical Pharmacy as part of the fifth year of hospital-university training (5AHU) in Clinical Pharmacy at Croix-Rousse Hospital, in partnership with Claude Bernard University Lyon 1. She then pursued a Master’s degree in Fine Organic Chemistry (2003), followed by a PhD in Organic Chemistry (2008) at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1. Between 2003 and 2006, she further expanded her training by completing three Certificates of Advanced Studies in Biological and Medical Sciences (MSBM), focusing on molecular biology, cell biology, and the design of therapeutic molecules, as well as a University Diploma in Animal Experimentation.

Alongside her research activities, she gained experience in higher education by taking a Temporary Teaching and Research position (ATER) in 2007 in Pharmacognosy and Botany at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, then a second position in 2008 in Organic and Organometallic Chemistry at Pierre and Marie Curie University (now Sorbonne University).

Her journey continued with two complementary postdoctoral experiences. In 2009, she joined the Faculty of Pharmacy in Châtenay-Malabry for a medicinal chemistry project carried out in partnership with a pharmaceutical company. In 2010, she did a second postdoc at the Mayo Clinic (Scottsdale, Arizona, USA), where she worked on the links between genetic alterations and the development of multiple myeloma. In 2013, a scientific stay at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Harvard Medical School, Boston) allowed her to deepen her research in oncology and medicinal chemistry within several research teams.

A new milestone was reached in 2020 with the obtaining of her Habilitation to Supervise Research (HDR) in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1. This qualification, supported by EBI, marked a turning point in her career. It allows her to develop doctoral supervision, strengthen national and international scientific collaborations, and contribute more broadly to structuring the research activities of the institution.

Structuring projects serving interdisciplinary collaborations

Since arriving at EBI, Samar Issa has been developing research projects at the intersection of medicinal chemistry, materials, pharmaceutical formulation, bioinformatics, and AI applied to healthcare. These projects are based on national and international collaborations bringing together academic, hospital, and industry partners.

Her research focuses in particular on the development of innovative materials for the encapsulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients, sunscreens, and plant-based oils with therapeutic or cosmetic applications, with the aim of improving their stability, efficacy, and functional properties. Her work also encompasses the design of smart polymers and innovative controlled drug delivery systems, as well as the development of biomaterials for cardiovascular medical devices. In parallel, she develops bioinformatics- and artificial intelligence-based approaches to identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets, particularly in the field of cancer, and to better understand the molecular interactions involved in the perception of bitterness and the acceptability of pediatric medicines.

This work is based on collaborations with several French institutions, including the Faculty of Pharmacy of Lyon, Arts et Métiers, Université Paris-Saclay, EFREI, NOVO Hospital and Georges-Pompidou European Hospital, as well as with international partners, including the Universidade Federal de Alagoas (Brazil). They mobilize complementary expertise in chemistry, biology, formulation, materials science, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence and medicine.

Through these collaborations, Samar Issa helps develop interdisciplinary projects aimed at tackling the challenges of precision medicine, pharmaceutical formulation, and innovative therapies, while also strengthening the connections between academic research, clinical research, and innovation.

Training engineers through research

For Samar Issa, teaching and research are two sides of the same coin. Research feeds teaching with up-to-date knowledge, practical examples, and insights into emerging scientific issues. Chatting with students, their questions, and their projects also sparks new ideas and ways of thinking.

Training future engineers at EBI isn’t just about teaching scientific and technical knowledge. It’s also about sparking their curiosity, developing their critical thinking, helping them thrive in interdisciplinary environments, and equipping them to work with experts from different fields to tackle big challenges in health, biotechnology, and life engineering.

Supporting the development of research at EBI: a dual mission

Since September 2024, Samar Issa has been serving as the Head of Research Project Development and National and International Public Funding, with a dual mission supporting EBI’s scientific strategy.

1. Develop research projects

Her primary mission is to support the structuring and development of the institution’s research projects in the field of health, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and the emergence of new scientific research areas. With this objective in mind, TARGET (Targeted Therapies, Artificial Intelligence, Research, Evaluation and Theranostics) brings together EBI’s expertise within an integrated approach to health research, combining bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, the identification of biomarkers and new therapeutic targets, biomaterials, innovative drug delivery systems, and theranostic approaches.

By strengthening the synergies between biology, chemistry, data science, engineering, and health, this initiative aims to encourage the emergence of interdisciplinary projects, develop new academic, clinical, and industrial collaborations, and contribute to EBI’s scientific standing in the fields of precision medicine and innovative therapies.

2. Develop national and international funding and partnerships

His second mission is to support teacher-researchers in identifying funding opportunities, setting up and monitoring research projects, as well as developing national and international partnerships with academic, hospital, institutional, and industrial players. This activity helps strengthen EBI’s ability to develop ambitious collaborative projects, increase its visibility with partners and funding organizations, and sustainably support the institution’s research strategy.

3. The same ambition

Through these two missions, Samar Issa wants to contribute to collaborative research that’s open to her academic, clinical, industrial, and international environment, while also strengthening the links between training, research, and innovation. Her goal is to support the scientific development of EBI, encourage the start of new collaborations, and help train engineers who can tackle the major scientific, technological, and societal challenges of tomorrow.