Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University (Montreal, Canada)
M.Sc. in Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University (Montreal, Canada)
B.Sc. in Biology and Chemistry, American University in Cairo, Egypt

Dr. Lina Marestani joined AUD as Chair of the Psychology Department and Associate Professor in August 2022 with over two decades of experience in higher education as a faculty member, researcher, and academic administrator.

As a results-oriented academic, the focus of her career has been in teaching, collaborative services, and research. She has offered key contributions through ongoing publications and presentations, departmental leadership, curriculum planning, and organizing assessments to measure academic achievement. Her professional skills lie in communicating with students to encourage their participation and learning progress, and in fostering a student-centered environment that increases proficiency in work and learning opportunities.

Having received both national and international grants from The National Sciences and Engineering Research Council in Canada (NSERC), Boehringer-Ingelheim, Pfizer and Astra Zeneca, Dr. Marestani has been involved in collaborations and affiliations with Harvard University, Oxford University, Stanford University, the University of Toronto, the University of California - San Francisco, and the University of California - Irvine.

In the UAE government initiatives on mental health and well-being, she has been summoned by the higher councils to present and spread awareness to the community on drug addiction and mental health. She is currently involved in research collaborations aiming to replace the widespread prescription of opioids with an attempt to overcome the unfortunate global crisis on opioid addiction.