Dr. Rania Khalil Nassar

Dr. Rania Khalil Nassar is a consultant pulmonologist and interventional pulmonologist at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) — consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the Middle East and one of the Arab world's most academically rigorous medical institutions. With 18 years of experience, US board certification, and fellowship training at the University of Pittsburgh, she represents the highest level of respiratory medicine expertise available in Lebanon and the broader Levant region. She leads the interventional pulmonology service at AUBMC, performing advanced bronchoscopic procedures including EBUS, navigational bronchoscopy, and medical thoracoscopy. Her clinical and research interests focus on lung malignancy, interstitial lung disease, and pleural disease. AUBMC's international patient programme and Lebanon's tradition as a regional medical hub make her accessible to patients from across the Arab world and from the Lebanese diaspora worldwide.

Dr. Nassar obtained her MD from the American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences — one of the Arab world's most prestigious medical schools. She completed her internal medicine residency at AUBMC, then moved to the United States for fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which has one of North America's leading interventional pulmonology programmes. She passed the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) certification examination in Pulmonary Disease and holds Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP) status. She has trained in navigational bronchoscopy and advanced pleural techniques through CHEST workshops and maintains international expertise through ATS and CHEST congress attendance.

Dr. Nassar's expertise encompasses both general and interventional pulmonology. Her interventional practice includes flexible bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) for mediastinal staging and biopsy, electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy for peripheral lung lesion sampling, and medical thoracoscopy for pleural disease diagnosis. In lung cancer she coordinates multi-disciplinary tumour board discussions and manages the diagnostic workup from biopsy through molecular profiling. She is experienced in managing pulmonary fibrosis — including IPF and other interstitial lung diseases — with antifibrotic agents. COPD, sarcoidosis, and complex pleural disease including mesothelioma are also within her expertise. In the ICU she manages mechanically ventilated patients and oversees weaning protocols.

Dr. Nassar is highly experienced with international patients and consults in Arabic, English, and French. AUBMC has a dedicated international patient services office with multilingual coordination. Patients from the Gulf, Europe, and the Americas — particularly members of the Lebanese diaspora — frequently travel to Beirut for her consultations. Video consultations for initial assessment, second opinion, and follow-up are available for patients who cannot travel. For lung cancer staging and management, she coordinates directly with oncology and thoracic surgery for comprehensive multi-disciplinary care. She requests prior CT scans (in DICOM format if possible), PET-CT results, and prior biopsy reports be shared before the consultation.

Dr. Nassar is a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP) and a member of the American Thoracic Society and the Lebanese Order of Physicians. She has published research on lung cancer diagnosis and COPD management in the Lebanese and Middle Eastern population in international peer-reviewed journals. She is on the faculty of the AUB Faculty of Medicine and teaches pulmonology to medical students and residents. She has served as an invited speaker at CHEST, ATS, and regional Arab respiratory congresses. She received the AUBMC Clinical Excellence Award for her contributions to building interventional pulmonology services in Lebanon.