Yara is from a small town in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon.

She studied at MIT pursuing a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and biology, with a minor in political science.

Outside classes, Yara has built an impressive resume of internships and work experience. Focusing on the immune response against cancer, Yara worked for the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT in her freshman year. The following summer, Yara went on to work for the United Nations Developmental Programme and Ministry of Environment in Lebanon to study the environmental impact of Lebanese cement. Yara has also worked for Air Liquide in Paris, France and for Shell's technical safety team in Bangalore, India. Her current research at MIT focuses on developing paper-based diagnostics for malaria and tuberculosis. These diagnostics are designed to be more accessible for communities with underdeveloped healthcare infrastructure. 

Following graduation, Yara intended to look for opportunities to work on diagnostics and drug development in the fields of infectious disease or oncology, with a focus on developing the manufacturing process of these products. 

Now graduated, Yara is working at a cancer immunotherapy company in Boston, called Agenus.