She earned her doctoral degree from University of Toronto, Canada. Since joining AUB in 2008, Dr. Naja has been leading an active research portfolio. A main focus of her research is the development and validation of tools to be used in nutrition research. Recently, Dr. Naja has been leading collaboration between Qatar and Lebanon to launch the first mother and child cohort study in the Middle East and North Africa region, examining the effects of maternal and young child nutrition on birth outcomes and growth patterns. Dr. Naja has also received several awards including the Constantin A. and Constantin C. Rebeiz Best Paper Award for 2011 and 2013, and Best Poster Award, 1st Annual Biomedical Research Day, Feb 2012.