The Faculty
Surgeons, doctors, Olympic coaches.
Not influencers.
Every SAS Coaching Diploma module is led by a practising clinician, doctor or elite-level coach. Real credentials, real cases, real hours teaching. Here is the team, by country.
Lebanon · MoE Diploma + EREPS
Lebanon faculty
The core teaching team across the Personal Trainer, EREPS, Post-Rehabilitation and Pre/Post Natal diplomas.
Dr. Georges Assaf
PhD Sports Physiology · Olympic Coach · Co-Founder
PhD from the University of Kinesiology, Zagreb and an Olympic-level track and field coach. Co-founder of the school, with 15+ years lecturing in sports science. Leads programming, periodisation, strength methods and the core physiology modules.
Dr. Georges Cherfane
Doctor of Physical Therapy
DPT and university lecturer specialising in sports injury rehabilitation, dry needling and manual therapy. Leads the Post-Rehabilitation Specialist diploma and supervises clinical practicals.
Dr. Abdo El Helou M.D.
Orthopaedic Surgeon · Sports Injuries
Practising orthopaedic surgeon specialising in arthroscopy and reconstructive sports surgery. Anchors the Post-Rehab injury-management content.
Dr. Elissar Madi
Doctor of Pharmacy · 3× National Champion
Doctor of Pharmacy, university lecturer and three-time Lebanese powerlifting national champion. Leads the strength and Olympic-lifting modules.
Romy Makdissi
Osteopath D.O. · ESO Paris
Sports osteopath at Performance First Beirut, previously with the Stade Francais Top 14 rugby team in Paris. Leads anatomy and physiology across the PT and Pre/Post Natal diplomas.
Ghassan Dandash
Exercise Physiologist · ex-National Rugby League
Mechanical engineer with dual master's degrees plus a master's in sports science and a teaching diploma. Ex-Lebanon national Rugby League player of 15 years. Teaches exercise physiology and the strength and conditioning practicals.
Aziza Sbaity
National-Record Sprinter · Educator
Lebanese-Liberian sprinter and multiple-time Lebanese national record holder. BA from LAU, pursuing an MA in Olympic Studies (German Sport University Cologne) and an MBA at AUB. Teaches professional practice, ethics and communication across the Lebanon and KSA programs.
Farah Barouki
Sports Dietitian · Nutrition Educator
Nutritionist, Sports Dietitian and Nutrition Educator with 9+ years of experience and a BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics from AUB. Leads the Sports Nutrition module with evidence-based, practical guidance.
Guest & specialist instructors
- Karim Ramadan · Sports Psychology
- Samir Mhanna · Marketing for Trainers
- Nader · TRX
UAE · NASM CPT + KHDA
Dubai faculty
Two faculty tracks, one cohort. The theoretical NASM CPT content is taught by SAS academic faculty; the in-person Dubai weekends are run by a Dubai-based coaching team at Lucky's Gym, Al Quoz.
Track 1 · Theory faculty
Dr. Georges Assaf
PhD Sports Physiology · Olympic Coach · Co-Founder
Olympic-level coach and co-founder. Leads programming, periodisation and physiology for the NASM CPT theory cohort.
Dr. Georges Cherfane
Doctor of Physical Therapy · Antonine University
DPT and university lecturer in sports injury rehabilitation. Leads the functional anatomy and injury-prevention modules for the NASM CPT cohort.
Romy Makdissi
Osteopath D.O. · ESO Paris
Sports osteopath, previously with the Stade Francais Top 14 rugby team in Paris. Leads anatomy and physiology across the SAS PT diplomas.
Ghassan Dandash
S&C Coach · MSc Sports Sciences
MSc in Sports Sciences and 15 years coaching rugby league at national and international level. Leads strength and conditioning programming.
Track 2 · Dubai practical coaches
Wills Burger
S&C Coach · Rehab Specialist · NKT Level 3
BSc Human Movement, MSc Applied Exercise Science. 20+ years across human performance, movement assessment, injury rehab and coach development. Anchors the practical assessment and rehab labs.
Marko Lajic
Founder, Lucky's Sports Club Dubai · UAE Davis Cup Team
A decade-plus in coaching, business leadership and fitness education. Anchors the strength and conditioning practical floor and your time at Lucky's Gym.
Nina Lajic
Licensed Nutritionist · Personal Trainer · 9+ years
BSc Nutrition and Dietetics, state-licensed by the Ministry of Health of Serbia. Leads the nutrition practical and client-strategy workshops on the Dubai weekends.
David Knezevic
Functional Fitness · Strength & Hypertrophy
Around 10 years coaching across Serbia and the UAE, with Olympic weightlifting and performance-coaching certifications. Leads the hypertrophy and group-training labs at Lucky's Gym.
KSA · SAS × Enhance Academy
Saudi Arabia faculty
Two tracks, one cohort. The theory units are taught by SAS academic faculty; the in-person practical sessions are run by Enhance Academy coaches in Riyadh and Jeddah.
Track 1 · SAS theory faculty
Dr. Georges Assaf
PhD Sports Physiology · Olympic Coach · Co-Founder
Olympic-level coach and co-founder. Leads the Client Assessment and Program Design and Delivery units, including health screening and programming for special populations.
Dr. Georges Cherfane
Doctor of Physical Therapy
DPT and university lecturer. Leads the Anatomy and Physiology unit: skeletal and muscular systems, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and the nervous and endocrine systems.
Romy Makdissi
Osteopath D.O. · ESO Paris
Sports osteopath. Contributes the anatomy and physiology teaching for the Enhance cohort.
Ghassan Dandash
Exercise Physiologist · MSc Sports Sciences
MSc in Sports Sciences and ex-national Rugby League player. Contributes the exercise physiology teaching for the Enhance cohort.
Aziza Sbaity
National-Record Sprinter · Educator
Lebanese-Liberian sprinter and national record holder. Leads the Professional Practice and Ethics unit for the Enhance cohort: code of conduct, cultural sensitivity, SDAIA data protection and anti-doping.
Farah Barouki
Sports Dietitian · Nutrition Educator
Sports Dietitian and Nutrition Educator with a BSc from AUB. Leads the Nutrition and Lifestyle unit for the Enhance cohort.
Guest & specialist instructors
- Samir Mhanna · Digital & Marketing
Track 2 · Enhance Academy practical coaches