​Nawar received her BA in Biology from Bryn Mawr College in 2014. She developed an interest in Microbiology in undergrad, where she investigated antibiotic resistance in Streptomyces coelicolor. After undergrad, she worked as a Research Specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, studying how the pathogen Vibrio cholerae modulates gene expression in response to environmental and chemical signals from the host. Nawar joined the Cell and Molecular Biology PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania in June 2016. She currently works in Dr. Sunny Shin’s lab, investigating how the human immune system senses and responds to Salmonella infection. Nawar is simultaneously pursuing a Certificate in Public Health at Penn, and serves on the board of a hunger relief non-profit called Muslims Serve. In her spare time, Nawar enjoys reading mystery novels, cooking, and attempting to garden.