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Obituaries

Nabil Nassar: physician, teacher, and editor in chief of the Middle East edition of The BMJ

BMJ 2019; 367 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l6445 (Published 11 November 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;367:l6445
  1. Rebecca Wallersteiner
  1. London, UK
  1. wallersteiner{at}hotmail.com
Photo credit: American University of Beirut

Nabil Nassar, who has died at the age of 80, enjoyed a dual career as a physician and teacher at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and as the innovative editor in chief of the Middle East edition of The BMJ for nearly 20 years.

Apart from international postings at universities—including Stanford, Harvard, and the London Hospital for Tropical Diseases—Nassar spent much of his career at AUB, from his student days in the 1960s to retirement. He graduated from AUB with a bachelor of science in 1961 and qualified in medicine in 1965. The Beirut of Nassar’s youth was a cosmopolitan city, nicknamed the “Paris of the Middle East” thanks to its French influences and vibrant cultural and intellectual life. It was one of the most exciting places around the world to be a student.

Fuad Ziyadeh, chair of the department of internal medicine at AUB, a close friend and colleague of Nassar’s, recalled: “A consummate professional and stalwart of AUB and its medical centre for most of his life, Dr Nassar was beloved among his students and patients and was greatly admired for his exemplary service, gentle manner, …

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