Personal Information

 Assistant Professor

Department of  Clinical Nutrition

Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences

Contact Information

Phone: 6400000

Email: smajabnoor@kau.edu.sa

Sarah MohammedAli Mohammed Ajabnoor

 Assistant Professor

Profile

Dr. Sarah M. Ajabnoor is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Nutrition at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) (2019–present), a licensed consultant dietitian accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties working at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, and a researcher in the Food, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Unit at King Fahd Medical Research Centre. She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Nutrition and Gastroenterology from the University of East Anglia (2019), an MSc in Clinical and Public Health Nutrition from University College London (2014), and a BSc in Clinical Nutrition from KAU (2010). She also earned a Diploma in Teaching and Learning from KAU’s Center for Teaching & Learning Development (2021) and completed the KAU Scholars Program Certificate (2023), further enhancing her expertise in teaching and research. Dr. Ajabnoor teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in nutrition support, medical nutrition therapy, clinical rotation, and research methods. She has contributed in several academic unit. Since 2020, she has served as the Coordinator of the Scientific Research Unit in the department. Her research focuses on gastrointestinal nutrition, enteral and parenteral nutrition, and the role of diet in chronic diseases, particularly inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and public health nutrition. She has been the Principal Investigator (PI) for multiple research projects. She has also contributed to national level projects. Dr. Ajabnoor has published extensively in peer-reviewed (ISI-indexed) journals. In addition, she has been a peer reviewer for several scientific journals.


Education

  • 2009

    Bachelor degree from clinical nutritionfaculty of applied medical sciences, King Abdulaziz university, جدة, المملكة العربية السعودية

  • 2014

    Master degree from الطبالطب, University College London - UCL, London, بريطانيا

  • 2019

    Doctorate degree from Gastroenterology Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, بريطانيا

Employment

  • 2010-2010

    intern student, king Abdulaziz university hospital, جدة, المملكة العربية السعودية

  • 2010-2010

    intern student, National Guard Hospital, جدة, المملكة العربية السعودية

  • 2011-2018

    Teaching Assisstant, King Abdulaziz University, جدة, المملكة العربية السعودية

  • 2019-حاليا

    Assistant Professor, King Abdulaziz University, جدة, المملكة العربية السعودية

Research Interests

Nutrition in gastroenterology
Nutrition in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)
 Nutrition support
Dietary fats
Mesenteric adipose tissues
Systematic review and Meta-analysis
Public health nutrition

 

Research Publications 

Zaher, S., & Ajabnoor, S. M. (2025). Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Measure Feeding Challenges and Nutritional Problems Associated With Long-Term Enteral Nutrition Among Children With  Disabilities. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 18, 747–757.  https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S502223

Khatib MA, Aljaaly EA, Albajri E, Khalifa NA, Khateeb S, Ajabnoor SM, Radhwan D, Aljohani K, Hussein AY. Prevalence of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and Associated Risk Factors Among Preschool Children in the City of Jeddah and Surrounding Areas: A Cross-Sectional Study. Diagnostics. 2025 Jan 21;15(3):242. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15030242

Ajabnoor SM, Khatib MA. How can food frequency questionnaire evaluate the intake of processed foods with added emulsifiers? A pilot study. International Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2024 Sep;59(9):6571-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.17406

Alkhaldy AA, Aljaadi AM, Jalil AM, Alyoubi DA, Saleemani HH, Eid RH, Almohmadi NH, Al-Otaibi HH, Ajabnoor SM. Cross-continental national nutrition surveys: a narrative review. BMC nutrition. 2024 Apr 22;10(1):63. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-024-00868-4

Zaher S, Sumairi FA, Ajabnoor SM. Understanding nursing perspective towards barriers to the optimal delivery of enteral nutrition in intensive care settings. BMC nursing. 2024 Jan 15;23(1):42. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01715-4

Ajabnoor SM, Jambi H, Bahijri S. Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire in adult Saudi subjects in Jeddah city. BMC Public Health. 2024 Jan 2;24(1):9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17511-9

Khatib MA, Saleemani HH, Kurdi NB, Alhibshi HN, Jastaniah MA, Ajabnoor SM. Low Emulsifier Diet in Healthy Female Adults: A Feasibility Study of Nutrition Education and Counseling Intervention. InHealthcare 2023 Sep 28 (Vol. 11, No. 19, p. 2644). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11192644

Ajabnoor SM, Zaher S, Malatani R, Jawa H. Exploring the practice of nutritional support during hospitalization across physicians, dietitians, and pharmacists based in Saudi Arabia. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2023 May 24;10:1149727. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1149727

Zaher S, Ajabnoor SM. A Cross Sectional Survey-Based Study to Investigate the Availability and Utilisation of Home Nutrition Support in Saudi Arabia [Corrigendum]. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare. 2023 Jan 25;16:249-50. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S405838

Ajabnoor SM, Attar A, BinJahlan N, Almutairi N, Bashmail S, Hashim A, Forbes A, Jawa H. Enteral Nutrition Prescription in Children and Adults with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Gaps in Current Gastroenterology Practice in Saudi Arabia. Nutrients. 2023 Jan 2;15(1):232. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010232

Hooper L, Abdelhamid A, Ajabnoor SM, Esio-Bassey C, Brainard J, Brown TJ, Bunn D, Foster E, Hammer CC, Hanson S, Jimoh FO. Effects of fluid and drinking on pneumonia mortality in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical nutrition ESPEN. 2022 Feb 1;47:96-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.11.021

Ajabnoor SM, Thorpe G, Abdelhamid A, Hooper L. Long-term effects of increasing omega-3, omega-6 and total polyunsaturated fats on inflammatory bowel disease and markers of inflammation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. European Journal of Nutrition. 2021 Aug;60:2293-316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-020-02413-y  

Scientific interests

 

Courses

Medical Nutrition Therapy CLN 341
Clinical Rotation in Medical Nutrition Therapy CLN 445
Professional Skills in Dietetics CLN 421
Research Methods in Health Sciences CLN 422

Areas of expertise