Dr. Ghassan Matar, professor and chairperson of the Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology & Microbiology at the American University of Beirut (AUB), was recently appointed as co-chair/co-coordinator of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) PulseNet Middle East.
This network focuses on detecting and preventing foodborne and waterborne disease outbreaks in the region.
Dr. Matar was appointed as a member of the regional PulseNet Steering Committee at a meeting that took place in Muscat, Oman, in May 2024.
Through this role, he aims to bolster regional laboratories in utilizing whole genome sequencing for timely responses to health threats and efficiently interpret sequence data. This will enable a prompt reaction to foodborne incidents on both a regional and global scale.
According to its website, PulseNet Middle East is a network that includes public health laboratories and academic and medical institutions from 10 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The network was established as a molecular surveillance network for foodborne infections to support the Food Safety regional plan and promote technical collaboration between countries. The network is essential in detecting and reacting to dangers presented by pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli/Shigella and Vibrio species.
