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Malek Batal

Rank: Associate Professor

Telephone : 613-562-5800 ext. 8897 Fax : 613-562-5632 Email: malek.batal@uottawa.ca   Biography

Malek Batal is a professor of community nutrition at the honours baccalaureate in nutrition sciences program at the Faculty of Health Sciences. He received a bachelor's degree in human nutrition and dietetics, as well as a master's in food science from the American University of Beirut. He then pursued doctoral studies in human nutrition at McGill University. He later worked at the American University of Beirut for five years as a professor of community nutrition. Dr. Batal received the Faculty of Health Sciences' 2009 Award for Excellence in Research (biology and physical sciences). He currently holds funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS), the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Ontario Ministry of  Health and Long-term Care. His research focuses on the social, cultural, economic and environmental determinants of nutrition and their relation with the health of humans and ecosystems. Dr. Batal manages research programs and studies the risks and benefits of land-based food strategies. The research model is being applied in Northern –Ontario communities and is expanding into other rural parts of Canada and, in fact, right around the world, including the Middle East.

Research Interests

• Food Security
• Infant Feeding
• Biodiversity and Nutrition
• Dietary Diversity
• Maternal and Child Nutrition
• Aboriginal Health
• Nutritional Assessment

Publications

• Batal M¹, Al-Hakimi A, and Pelat F. (2011) (in press) Dietary Diversity in Yemen and Lebanon: A tale of two Countries. In: Charron, D.F. (editor), Ecohealth Research in Practice: Innovative Applications of an Ecosystem Approach to Health. Springer, New York, NY, USA / International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada
• Lynch M and Batal M¹ (2011). Childcare providers’ strategies for supporting healthy eating: A qualitative approach. Journal of Research in Childhood Education (accepted, in press)
• Lynch M and Batal M (2011). Factors influencing childcare providers’ food and mealtime decisions: An ecological approach. Childcare Practice (accepted, in press)
• Johnson K.L., Batal M., Haman F., Imbeault P., Blais J.M., Pal S., Seabert T.A., Krümmel E, and Robidoux M.A. (2011) The Life Course “Connection”: An Exploration of Women’s Dietary Choices in a Northern First Nations Community.  Pimatisiwn Vol.8(3).
• Robidoux M.A., Imbeault P., Blais J.M., Pal S., Seabert T., Krümmel E., Batal M. and Haman F. (2012) Traditional Foodways in Two Contemporary Northern First Nations Communities. Canadian Journal of Native Studies Vol. 32(2).
• Haman F, Fontaine-Bisson B, Batal M, Imbeault P, Blais J, Robidoux M (2010). Obesity and type 2 diabetes in northern Canada’s remote 5 First Nations communities: the dietary dilemma. International Journal of Obesity Vol. 34: pp. S24–S31
• Issa C*, Darmon N, Salameh P, Maillot M, Batal M, Lairon D (2010). A Mediterranean diet pattern with low consumption of liquid sweets and refined cereals is negatively associated with adiposity in adults from rural Lebanon. International Journal of Obesity Vol. 35(2): pp.251-8
• Batal M¹, Boulghourjian C, and Akik C (2010). Complementary Feeding Patterns in a Developing Country: A Cross-Sectional Study across Lebanon. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal Vol. 16(2), pp. 181-186
• Mattar LE, Mattar MM, Batal M, Mouneimne Y and Obeid OA. (2010). Increased phosphate content of a high fructose diet stimulated postprandial in vivo glycogenesis and lipogenesis of rats. Nutrition Research Vol. 30(2), pp.151-155
• Issa C*, Darmon N, Batal M, and Lairon D. (2009). The nutrient profile of traditional Lebanese composite dishes: Comparison with composite dishes consumed in France. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. Vol. 60 (s4), pp. 285-295
• Jeambey Z*, Johns T, Talhouk S, and Batal M¹. (2009). Perceived Health and Medicinal properties of six species of wild edible plants in the northeast of Lebanon. Journal of Public Health Nutrition Vol. 12 (10), pp. 1902-1911
• Batal M., The Healthy Kitchen: Recipes from Rural Lebanon. (American University of Beirut Press, 2008). 120 pages.
• Saoud I.P, Batal M¹, Ghanawi J, Lebbos N. (2008). Seasonal evaluation of nutritional benefits of two fish species in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. International Journal of Food Science and Technology  Vol. 43,  pp. 538–542
• Obeid OA, Al-Khatib L, Batal M, Adra N, Hwalla N (2008). Established and suspected biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in
  Pre-menopausal Lebanese Women. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 47:3, pp. 298 -311
• Obeid O, Elfakhani M, Hlais S, Iskandar M, Batal M, Mouneimne Y, Adra N, Hwalla N.(2008) Plasma copper, zinc, and selenium levels and correlates with metabolic syndrome components of Lebanese adults. Biological Trace Element Research. 123(1-3) pp. 58-65.
• Batal M¹ and Hunter B. (2007). Traditional Lebanese recipes based on wild plants: an answer to diet simplification? Food and Nutrition Bulletin 28(2) suppl. pp. S303-S311
• Saoud I.P, Batal M, Ghanawi J, Lebbos N. (2007). Seasonal variation in highly unsaturated fatty acid composition of muscle tissue of two fishes endemic to the Eastern Mediterranean. Ecology of Food and Nutrition Vol. 46(2), pp. 77 - 89
• Al Khatib L*, Obeid O, Mehio-Sibai A, Batal M, Adra N, Hwalla N (2006). Folate Deficiency Is Associated with Nutritional Anemia in Lebanese Women of Childbearing Age. Journal of Public Health Nutrition Vol. 9(7) pp. 921-927
• Batal M¹, Boulghourjian C, Abdallah A, and Afifi-Soweid R (2006). Breastfeeding and feeding practices of infants in a developing country: A national survey in Lebanon. Journal of Public Health Nutrition Vol. 9 (3), pp. 313-319
• Batal M¹, Gray-Donald K, Kuhnlein HV, and Receveur O. (2005) Estimation of Traditional Food Intake in Indigenous Communities in Denendeh and the Yukon. International Journal of Circumpolar Health. Vol. 64(1) pp. 46-54
• Batal M¹ and Boulghourjian C (2005). Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration in Lebanon: Are the Hospitals “Mother Friendly”? Journal of Pediatric Nursing. Vol. 20(1) pp. 53-59.