Biography

I am a professor in Clinical Nutrition. My teaching interests are in nutritional assessment and medical nutrition therapy. I have clinical research experience particularly in the area of functional foods. I have a good knowledge of strengths, limitations, and areas of potential improvement of human nutrition trials.  I am also conducting meta-analysis research on dietary interventions to reduce risk factors for chronic diseases. I conducted meta-analyses to be used in Health Canada food-health claim petition for a number of functional ingredients including beta-glucan, soy protein, and flaxseed. I have published more than 30 peer-reviewed research articles and reviews including a review on clinical trial design. My published meta-analyses have been recognized by regulatory agencies such as The European Food Safety Authority, and the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Education

Mcgill University - Canada

Research Interests

• Medical nutrition therapy
• Evidence-based nutrition: Meta-analyses
• Functional foods and nutraceuticals for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
• Plant sterols (phytosterols)
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Health claims
• Lipid metabolism
• Nutritional assessment
• Nutrigenetic

Selected Publications

1. Ahles A, Muhammad A, Yenerall JN, Reedy J, Shi P, Zhang J, Cudhea F, Erndt-Marino J, Miller V, Mozaffarian D; Global Dietary Database (.... Suhad Abumweis et al.). How prices and income influence global patterns in saturated fat intake by age, sex and world region: a cross-sectional analysis of 160 countries. BMJ Open. 2024 Jan 22;14(1):e074562. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074562. PMID: 38253455; PMCID: PMC10806819.
2. Lara-Castor L, Micha R, Cudhea F, Miller V, Shi P, Zhang J, Sharib JR, Erndt-Marino J, Cash SB, Barquera S, Mozaffarian D; Global Dietary Database  (.... Suhad Abumweis et al.). Intake of sugar sweetened beverages among children and adolescents in 185 countries between 1990 and 2018: population based study. BMJ. 2024 Aug 7;386:e079234. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2024-079234. PMID: 39111807; PMCID: PMC11305379
3. Abumweis S, Alzyoud L, Alqadi S. Apolipoprotein E Genetic Variant and Blood Lipid Responses to Plant Sterols: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis of Clinical Trials. Prev Nutr Food Sci. 2023 Dec 31;28(4):377-385. doi: 10.3746/pnf.2023.28.4.377. PMID: 38188084; PMCID: PMC10764225.
4. Lara-Castor L, Micha R, Cudhea F, Miller V, Shi P, Zhang J, Sharib JR, Erndt-Marino J, Cash SB, Mozaffarian D; Global Dietary Database (.... Suhad Abumweis et al.). Sugar-sweetened beverage intakes among adults between 1990 and 2018 in 185 countries. Nat Commun. 2023 Oct 3;14(1):5957. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-41269-8. PMID: 37788998; PMCID: PMC10614169.
5. Miller V, Webb P, Cudhea F, Zhang J, Reedy J, Shi P, Erndt-Marino J, Coates J, Micha R, Mozaffarian D; Global Dietary Database (.... Suhad Abumweis et al.). Children's and adolescents' rising animal-source food intakes in 1990-2018 were impacted by age, region, parental education and urbanicity. Nat Food. 2023 Apr;4(4):305-319. doi: 10.1038/s43016-023-00731-y. Epub 2023 Apr 20. PMID: 37117550.
6. O'Hearn M, Lara-Castor L, Cudhea F, Miller V, Reedy J, Shi P, Zhang J, Wong JB, Economos CD, Micha R, Mozaffarian D; Global Dietary Database (Murat Bas, Jemal Haidar Ali, Suhad Abumweis, et al). Incident type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet in 184 countries. Nat Med. 2023 Apr;29(4):982-995. doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02278-8. Epub 2023 Apr 17. PMID: 37069363; PMCID: PMC10115653.
7. Kharaba Z, AlAhmad MM, Ahmed Elnour A, Abou Hajal A, Abumweis S, Ghattas MA. Are we ready yet for digital transformation? Virtual versus on-campus OSCE as assessment tools in pharmacy education. A randomized controlled head-to-head comparative assessment. Saudi Pharm J. 2023 Mar;31(3):359-369. doi: 10.1016/j.jsps.2023.01.004. Epub 2023 Jan 25. PMID: 36718383; PMCID: PMC9876029.
8. Abumweis S, Alrefai W, Alzoughool F. Association of obesity with COVID-19 diseases severity and mortality: A meta-analysis of studies. Obes Med. 2022 Aug;33:100431. doi: 10.1016/j.obmed.2022.100431. Epub 2022 Jun 9. PMID: 35702736; PMCID: PMC9181395.
9. lzoughool F, Abumweis S, Alanagreh L, Atoum M. Associations of pre-existing cardiovascular morbidity with severity and the fatality rate in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2022 Feb;13(1):37-50. doi: 10.24171/j.phrp.2021.0186. Epub 2022 Feb 18. PMID: 35255677; PMCID: PMC8907611.
10. Alzoughool F, Alanagreh L, Abumweis S, Atoum M. Cerebrovascular comorbidity, high blood levels of C-reactive protein and D-dimer are associated with disease outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2021;77(3):311-322. doi: 10.3233/CH-201002. PMID: 33185593.

Professional Experience

• Director, Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences,  The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.        Sep 2017  - Sep 2019
• Professor, Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences,  The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.     May 2020
• Associate  Professor, Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.  Sep 2014  - April 2020                                                                             
• Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan. 2008- Sep 2014    
• Researcher, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.   Summer 2008, 2012, 2013
  Conducted meta-analyses to be used in Health Canada food-health claim petition for a number of functional ingredients
• Clinical Research Coordinator, Mary Emily Clinical Nutrition Research Unit.  McGillUniversity. Montreal, Canada.                                    2003-2005                                                                                                       
  • Designed human clinical trials
  • Supported submission of new human clinical trials including preparation of protocols, and applications for submission to the Institutional Review Board
  • Maintained documentation and files for all clinical trials
  • Participated in all aspects of clinical trials including initiating, investigating and monitoring data collection
  • Tracked and managed studies as per established timeline, budget and resources.
  • Trained study personnel in study specific procedures
  • Evaluated, monitored and documented all study results as well as classified and analyzed data
  • Conducted laboratory analysis
  • Maintained familiarity with relevant scientific literature
  • Wrote and submitted publications to journals and conferences        

                                                                       

Teaching Courses

• Assessment of Nutritional Status
• Medical Nutrition Therapy 1 & 2
• Clinical Practicum

 

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all.

This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):