Rima Kaddurah-Daouk, PhD, has been appointed the inaugural chair of the Department of Precision Behavioral Health at the newly established UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences. Kaddurah-Daouk is a prominent figure in precision medicine and research focused on brain health and diseases.
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With a background in metabolomics, data integration, and informatics, her approach examines the brain as part of a complex system influenced by genetic, metabolic, microbiome, dietary, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors. At UTHealth Houston, she will also lead the forthcoming Center for Proactive Health and Body-Brain Connections, which aims to enhance holistic health by fostering interdisciplinary research.
Kaddurah-Daouk's initiatives will involve collaboration among over 120 scientists from more than 30 global academic institutions. She emphasizes a proactive approach to brain health, likening it to cardiovascular care, and aims to redefine it as interconnected with overall bodily health.
She brings over $80 million in grant funding for various research projects, which will investigate aspects of Alzheimer’s disease, the impact of chemical exposures, metabolic changes related to aging, and the differing roles of mitochondrial energetics by sex. Additionally, her research will explore the gut microbiome’s influence on Alzheimer’s disease and related neuropsychiatric disorders, along with modifiable lifestyle factors.
The Precision Behavioral Health Department will focus on utilizing big data, artificial intelligence, and real-time analytics to discern the connections between the brain and body, translating findings into practical applications for patient care. Kaddurah-Daouk highlighted the department's commitment to empowering patients to take charge of their health through informed decision-making.
Jair C. Soares, MD, PhD, dean of the School of Behavioral Health Sciences, expressed pride in Kaddurah-Daouk's appointment, describing her as a visionary leader who will significantly impact the future of the field. The faculty will further her research efforts by exploring behavioral health determinants, addressing conditions such as mood disorders, cognitive aging, and severe mental illness.
Kaddurah-Daouk, who previously spent over 15 years at Duke University in various professor roles, holds a PhD in biochemistry from the American University of Beirut and has trained at esteemed institutions such as Johns Hopkins and MIT.