Ibtissam Saab is the founder and chairperson of the Physical Therapy Department at Beirut Arab University. She is also an Associate professor there.

After her graduation with a Bachelor degree from the Lebanese University (LU) in 1994, she continued her studies in Cairo University and graduated with a MSc degree in 1999, and a PhD in Physical Therapy for musculoskeletal disorders in 2004.

She merged between academic and professional skills throughout her career. Apart from her clinical expertise, she taught physical therapy courses in the LU from 1999 till 2008 when she led the establishment of an entry level BSc physical therapy program at Beirut Arab University which was awarded full accreditation from WCPT till June 2021; as the first program in Lebanon gaining such credential.

Additionally, she established the first Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program in Lebanon in 2013. She is part of the National Technical committee in the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education for physical therapy programs in Lebanon, and she has always been a part of different committees in LOPT. Lately, she was elected as member of the council and she is currently the Vice President.

Apart from being regularly honored as a distinguished student, she was honored by the LOPT and the ACPT (Arab Confederation for Physiotherapists) for her efforts in developing the Doctoral level in the Lebanese educational system.
Lastly, she was chosen to join the award committee (representative of the European region) set by WCPT for the awards that will be granted during the next coming International Congress in Geneva.

She participated in many WCPT congresses, namely ER-WCPT congress- Vienna in 2012, and Singapore (as poster presenter) in 2015; and held many talks in different regional and international conferences and congresses. She also has many research publications in physical therapy.
 

Vice President
vice.president@optl.org
Phone: +961 3 959040