Research as a Foundation for Care
The research backgrounds of our clinicians directly shape the quality of care at The Valens Clinic. Our practitioners contribute to peer-reviewed literature, collaborate in multinational studies, and engage in academic teaching — all while remaining grounded in compassionate, patient-centred practice. This dual commitment means that when you seek care at The Valens Clinic, you are supported by professionals who not only follow best practices but help define them.
Dr. Joseph El-Khoury — Medical Director, CEO & Co-Founder
Dr. El-Khoury is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK) and has authored over 70 academic publications spanning general psychiatry, substance misuse, trauma, and conflict medicine. He holds an MSc in War and Psychiatry from King’s College London and has held leadership and faculty positions at several institutions, including American Hospital Dubai, the American University of Beirut, and the University of Sharjah. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at United Arab Emirates University, where he is involved in research and education. Dr. El-Khoury co-leads the Psychiatry section of PLOS Mental Health alongside international co-editors, contributing to one of the field’s leading open-access research journals. His research spans conflict psychiatry and geopsychiatry, addiction and dual diagnosis, psychotic disorders, and the global applicability of psychiatric diagnostic frameworks. He serves as the immediate past president of the Lebanese Psychiatric Society and as financial officer of the Middle Eastern International Division of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Profile: ResearchGate
Dr. Danilo Arnone — Consultant Psychiatrist
Dr. Arnone is a Professor of Psychiatry at Mohammed Bin Rashid University and a globally trained clinician and academic, bringing decades of experience from leading institutions across the UK, UAE, and Canada. He has over 137 publications to his name, with particular expertise in mood disorders, neuroimaging, psychopharmacology, and treatment-resistant depression. His research includes systematic reviews and meta-analyses of lamotrigine in unipolar and bipolar depression, neuroanatomical studies in major depressive disorder, and cognitive assessments in affective illness. He maintains active affiliations with the Centre for Affective Disorders at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, and Imperial College London.
Profile: ResearchGate
Ms. Rama Kanj — Lead Educational Psychologist & Co-Founder
Ms. Kanj is the Lead Educational Psychologist at The Valens Clinic, extensively trained in diagnostic psycho-educational and neuropsychological assessment using state-of-the-art, evidence-based tools. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Psychology at the University of Reading (UK), with her doctoral research focusing on language development and assessment across multilingual children with and without Developmental Language Disorder. She holds an MA in Educational Psychology (specialising in Tests and Measurements) from the American University of Beirut, where she was awarded the Best Thesis Award in Education, and holds a Post-Graduate Certification in School Neuropsychology from the American Board of School Neuropsychology, Texas, USA.
Ms. Kanj’s research output includes peer-reviewed contributions in neuropsychology and developmental assessment. She was the recipient of the award for best poster presentation in the clinical research category for her co-authored work on neuropsychological findings in Hamamy Syndrome — a rare genetic condition — contributing a detailed clinical case study to the field.
She has also co-authored published research on psycho-educational testing. She remains an active member of both the American Board of School Neuropsychology and the International Testing Commission , maintaining engagement with the global measurement and assessment research community. She has additionally served as Adjunct Faculty Instructor at Curtin University Dubai , contributing to the academic training of the next generation of psychologists in the UAE.
Her research interests span multilingualism and language disorders, neuropsychological assessment in rare conditions, psycho-educational measurement, and evidence-based approaches to ADHD and learning difficulties in children.
Profile: ResearchGate
Ms. Rassil Ghazzaoui — Clinical Psychologist & Academic Director
Ms. Ghazzaoui is a Canadian-Lebanese Licensed Clinical Psychologist who obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science from the American University of Beirut, and her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University, New York. Prior to joining The Valens Clinic, she worked at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) and Columbia University Medical Center, and subsequently at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, where she served as psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and the Bariatric Surgery Unit. She later served as Director of the Psychology Department at the American Hospital of Dubai.
Ms. Ghazzaoui has published research papers across multiple mental health and psychiatric journals , with her work concentrating on psychosis, eating disorders, and bariatric psychological assessment. She has also been actively involved in raising awareness about psychosis across the Middle East, with the aim of improving mental health literacy in the wider community. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and has served as a board member of the Lebanese Psychological Association (LPA).
In her current role as Academic Director at The Valens Clinic, Ms. Ghazzaoui is responsible for developing and managing the clinic’s growing academic affiliations, including partnerships with Mohammed Bin Rashid University (MBRU) and the University of Birmingham in Dubai. Drawing on her prior experience at university departments in the United States and Lebanon, she leads the clinic’s strategic commitment to the training of psychologists and medical graduates in the UAE.
Profile: ResearchGate
Dr. Rudy Abi-Habib – Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Rudy Abi-Habib is a senior clinical psychologist and psychodynamic psychotherapist who pursued his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the Lebanese University, followed by a Master’s degree in clinical psychology and psychopathology at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, and doctoral studies in psychopathology at the University of Denis Diderot in Paris, France. He completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in 2012 at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
At the Lebanese American University (LAU), he serves as Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Institute of Psychotraumatology. His research interests span psychopathology — including personality disorders, trauma, and psychosomatic disorders — as well as health psychology, psychometrics, and core psychological constructs such as attachment, reflective functioning, and mentalization.
His recent work includes studies on resilience and mental health outcomes in cumulative trauma survivors, with particular focus on the 2020 Lebanese Port Explosion, as well as research on narcissism, selfie-posting behavior, and sadomasochism in Arab communities. He holds the World Certificate of Psychotherapy from the World Council for Psychotherapy and maintains an active clinical practice alongside his academic and research roles.
Profile: ResearchGate
Sherine Bou Dargham – Assistant Psychologist
Sherine Bou Dargham is a researcher and clinician working at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and linguistics. Her academic work uses magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate how the brain processes language at multiple levels — from auditory and phonological representations to higher-order linguistic computations — in both adults and school-age children. Her research spans developmental populations and explores speech planning in naturalistic and interactive contexts.
Profile: ResearchGate