I was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt. In 2008, I moved to Cairo for my undergraduate studies and closely witnessed Egypt’s political transformations. After my graduation, I worked as a market research analyst at IPSOS-MENA and managed various field surveys. I then moved to Istanbul and Budapest for my graduate studies before starting my PhD at Columbia University.

In my free time, I enjoy writing Arabic short stories, which resulted in a published short-story collection. I also enjoy cooking and experimenting with my own recipes, and often invite friends and strangers to try my homemade Egyptian dishes.