Conferences of Samah Karaki

Samah Karaki is a neuroscientist, a speaker and the founding director of the Social Brain Institute. SBI is an NGO based in Geneva and operating in Europe and the Middle East where it implements research-based strategies to organise and facilitate individual and organisational change.

Her research focuses on the neuronal basis of stress affecting emotional and social behaviours. She is also interested in the neural basis of memory and unconscious processes, empathy, behavioural change and creativity. Combining scientific outreach and consultancy experience with neuroscience insights allowed Samah to develop unique seminars, where solid neuroscience research is presented in the context of the topics relevant for organisations. Samah has been delivering tailored seminars to over 2000 academics, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, scientific institutes and universities, teenagers at schools and consulted on change management programs for leaders in various organisations.

By now Samah has successfully trained and delivered speeches on effective leadership, creative thinking, negotiation, behaviour change, inclusive leadership and other topics. She is also interested in bridging the gender and racial gap in the field of STEM and in advocating for healthy work and learning environments. In addition to her academic work, Samah is active in outreach and public communication of science. She has written about the psychology of empathy, creativity, implicit bias and gendered leadership.

She’s currently working on a book which focuses on change and resilience in times of crisis.

Samah is born in Dubai and currently spends her time in France or Geneva or in her home country, Lebanon. In addition to her professional life, she spends hours filming short amateur documentaries and teaching critical thinking in schools to children and teenagers. Samah received her BA in Biology at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, her Masters in Neuroscience from The University Lyon1, and earned her PhD in Neuroscience in 2011 from the University of Montpellier.

She also holds an Master I degree in ecology and evolution from the University of Montpellier and Max Planck Institute of Ornithology.