Gehad Abaza’s research interests include forced migration and refugee studies, the anthropology of the state, processes of racialization, the anthropology of war, and memory. Abaza has an MA in Sociology-Anthropology and a BA in Political Science, with a specialization in Middle East Politics from the American University in Cairo. Before pursuing academia, she was journalist and photographer in Egypt, covering stories related to refugee, worker, and detainee rights. Her work has been published in outlets such as Newsweek, the National UAE, Mada Masr, and more.