Professor Mohamad M. Saab is Professor in Nursing and Director of the MSc/Postgraduate Diploma in Oncology Nursing, as well as Year 1 Coordinator for the MSc Advanced Practice (Nursing/Midwifery) at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork (UCC), Ireland. He also serves on the Board of Marymount University Hospital and Hospice. From 2022 to 2025, he was Vice Dean and Chair of Graduate Studies in the School. A Registered Nurse in Ireland and Lebanon, Professor Saab holds a PhD in Nursing from UCC and an MSc and BSc in Nursing (both with distinction) from the American University of Beirut. He has six years of clinical experience in oncology and palliative care advanced practice nursing. His interdisciplinary research focuses on digital health innovation in cancer and palliative care, particularly the use of eXtended Reality (XR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance communication training, support cancer survivors, and promote men’s health. Professor Saab has authored over 200 scholarly outputs, including more than 90 peer-reviewed papers, and has delivered more than 60 conference presentations and invited talks. He has secured over €16 million in research funding across 33 projects, including ~€7 million as Principal Investigator. In 2024, he became the first Irish academic to coordinate a Horizon Europe Cancer Mission project (TRANSCEND-XR) which uses XR technology to improve the quality of life of young testicular cancer survivors across seven European countries. His leadership extends to multiple funded projects, including the HRB-funded E-MAT Trial, the “On the Ball” awareness campaign, the COST Action Europe for Cancer Survivorship Care, and the Irish Cancer Society-funded LIAM McTrial. He has received major institutional awards, including the Vice President for Research and Innova

Professor Saab’s research is interdisciplinary, focusing on digital health innovation in cancer and palliative care. He integrates eXtended Reality (XR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance communication training for healthcare professionals, support adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, and promote men’s health awareness. He has produced over 200 scholarly outputs, including more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, and delivered more than 60 invited talks and conference presentations. With a strong track record in securing competitive research funding, Professor Saab has contributed to 33 national and international projects totalling €16.2 million, including €6.6 million as Principal Investigator. In 2024, he became the first Irish academic to coordinate a Horizon Europe Cancer Mission project, leading TRANSCEND-XR (€6 million), a groundbreaking study using XR technology to improve the quality of life of young testicular cancer survivors across seven European countries. His work has earned multiple awards, including the UCC Vice President for Research and Innovation Award for Interdisciplinary Research (2025). Professor Saab’s research advances innovation in cancer survivorship, palliative care communication, and digital health education, shaping the future of technology-enhanced healthcare.

Professor Saab is an award-winning educator with extensive experience teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His teaching expertise includes palliative care, oncology nursing, simulation-based education, advanced research methods, interdisciplinary communication, and health assessment. He holds a Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from UCC and has received two major teaching awards: the Sigma International Honor Society of Nurses Award (2019) and the UCC College of Medicine and Health Teaching Award (2021), both recognising his pioneering use of Virtual Reality (VR) in nursing education. Professor Saab has led innovative international education projects, including the Erasmus+ VR-TALKS project (€400,000), which used VR and AI to teach communication skills to over 320 nursing and medical students and educators across five European countries. He has also coordinated and taught on UCC’s MSc in Oncology Nursing and MSc Advanced Practice (Nursing/Midwifery) programmes, mentoring over 30 postgraduate students to completion. His teaching philosophy centres on experiential learning, digital innovation, and preparing nurses and midwives for advanced, patient-centred practice in modern healthcare.