Prof. Ibtissam Saab is Professor and Chair of the Physical Therapy Department at Beirut Arab University (BAU). She founded BAU’s BSc in Physical Therapy (2008), led it to World Physiotherapy accreditation in 2016 (the first in MENA), and in 2013 launched the first DPT program in Lebanon and the region. She served on the World Physiotherapy Education Committee (2022–2026), chaired Lebanon’s national committee aligning physical therapy programs with international standards, and is a former Vice President of the Lebanese Order of Physiotherapists. An external program reviewer in Lebanon, Egypt and the UAE, she has published widely and spoken at local, regional and international congresses.

Prof. Ibtissam Saab’s research interests include musculoskeletal physical therapy and rehabilitation, the biological effects of electrotherapy and physical agents, bone health and metabolic disorders, and spasticity management using electrical stimulation and dry needling. She also studies technology use in rehabilitation, evidence-based practice, physical therapy education, curriculum development, and accreditation and AI in education.

PhD in Physical Therapy (Musculoskeletal Disorders), Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt, 2004 MSc in Physical Therapy (Musculoskeletal Disorders), Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt, 1999 BSc in Physical Therapy, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Lebanon, 1994

Prof. Saab teaches across BAU’s physical therapy programs, including the DPT. Her teaching focuses on musculoskeletal physical therapy, clinical reasoning and decision making, evidence-based practice, and electrotherapy. She also contributes to clinical practice courses in neuromuscular, pediatric and medical-surgical physical therapy.

-Physical Therapy Medal, Order of Physical Therapists of Lebanon (OPTL) (2013). -Honored by the OPTL and the Arab Confederation for Physical Therapy (2015) for establishing Lebanon's first DPT program. -Notable alumna honor (2017) and Best Thesis of the Year (2004), Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University. -Distinguished Student honors, President and Prime Minister of Lebanon (1993–1994). -Research grants from the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS-L) and the ICRC