Dr. Kattan earned her Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences from Alfaisal University in 2015, followed by a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology-Clinical & Translational Oncology from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Her doctoral research focused on drug/target discovery in pancreatic cancer, particularly in inhibiting the KRAS oncoprotein, which is mutated in ~25% of cancers. This work led to the identification of novel therapeutic targets in KRAS-driven cancers, published in prominent journals. At MIT, Dr. Kattan's research delved into pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) RNA cell states, exploring how cancer cells exhibit plasticity and respond differently to therapies based on their cell state. Her current work aims to personalize PDAC treatment by identifying differential transcriptional states and the genetic and microenvironmental factors influencing them.