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Denise Abboud 

Professor of Practice

Email icon denise.abboud@kaust.edu.sa

Science owes society more than discovery; it owes delivery. While we push the frontiers of innovation, we carry a responsibility to ensure that enduring problems are addressed at scale, with fairness, and with purpose. 

Biography

Dr. Denise Abboud is Professor of Practice at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, where she leads the Science, Technology and Innovation for Good (STI for Good) initiative within the Office of the Vice President for Research. With over a decade of international experience, she previously served on the Forensic Global Management Team of the International Committee of the Red Cross and led forensic operations across the Near and Middle East, working at the intersection of forensic science, human rights, and humanitarian action. Dr. Abboud has led multinational teams in complex contexts, including conflict, disasters, and migration, contributing to negotiations on detainee release, the dignified management of human remains, and the establishment of national mechanisms for missing persons. She also brings extensive academic and capacity-building experience, having developed Humanitarian and Criminal Justice Reform programs across the MENA region in partnership with international institutions and continues to advance a human-centered approach to science that places social impact at the core of research and innovation.  

Research Interests

Dr. Denise Abboud’s research focuses on the intersection of forensic science, humanitarian action, and responsible innovation, with an emphasis on human-centered approaches to science and technology. Her work explores forensic human identification, missing persons, and the ethical application of science in complex contexts such as conflict, disasters, and migration. She is particularly interested in embedding social impact within research systems, advancing Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Good, and promoting locally grounded, co-created solutions to global challenges. Through interdisciplinary methods that combine scientific rigor, field-based practice, and policy engagement, her research seeks to ensure that innovation addresses real-world needs while upholding dignity and justice.  
Keyword tag icon
forensic science missing persons forensic human identification disaster victim identification science and technology policy.

Education Profile

  • Ph.D. at the Institute for Criminal Justice Studies, University of Portsmouth, England, U.K. 2020 

  • Master of Science (MSc) in Forensic Science, University of Strathclyde at Glasgow, U.K. 2012 

  • Postgraduate University Diploma in Forensic Toxicology, American University of Science and Technology, Lebanon 2010 

  • Bachelor of Science in Biology & Biochemistry from University of Saint Joseph (Lebanon) & University of Blaise Pascal (France) 2009 
     

Awards and Recognitions

Selected by the international committee for the “Promotion FAM d’Avenir de la Méditerranée” program at Sciences Po (Future Leading Women of the Mediterranean), 2017 

Publications

Book Chapter 

  • Abboud, D. (2026). From conflict to cooperation. In R. C. Parra & A. G. Alvarez-Godoy (Eds.), Forensic science and quality management: Addressing the era of standardization in challenging environments (Forensic Science in Focus) (pp. 103–125). Springer. 

Journal Articles 

  • Salado Puerto, M., Abboud, D., Baraybar, J. P., Carracedo, A., Fonseca, S., Goodwin, W., Guyomarc’h, P., Jimenez, A., Krenzer, U., Morcillo Mendez, M. D., Prieto, J. L., Rodriguez Gonzalez, J., Ruiz Orozco, Y., Taylor, J., Tennakoon, A., Winter, K., & Finegan, O. (2021). The search process: Integrating the investigation and identification of missing and unidentified persons. Forensic Science International: Synergy, 3, 100171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsisyn.2021.100171 

  • Finegan, O., Abboud, D., Fonseca, S., Malgrati, I., Morcillo Mendez, M. D., Burri, J.-M., & Guyomarc’h, P. (2020). International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): Cemetery planning, preparation and management during COVID-19: A quick guide to proper documentation and disposition of the dead. Forensic Science International, 310, 110249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110249 

Conference Presentations 

  • Guvomarc’h, P., Abboud, D., Finegan, O., Fonseca, S., Jimenez, D. J., Kainazarova, C., Krenzer, U., Morcillo Mendez, M. M., Page, A., Sablouh, B., Taylor, J., & Vennemeyer, M. (2023, February). Humanitarian forensic action at the International Committee of the Red Cross from 2003 to 2023. Presentation at the Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center’s Clyde Snow Award, American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Denver, CO, USA. 

  • Joseph, A. S., Morcillo Mendez, M. D., & Guvomarc’h, P. (2022, February). Medicolegal systems and forensic services assessments: Methods to better understand the needs and challenges of providing structured support and building sustainable forensic capacities. Presentation at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA.