Mawj graduated with First-Class Honours in Medical & Molecular Biosciences from the University of Technology Sydney in 2018, where she undertook research for neuroinflammation, obesity and drugs that can cross the Blood Brain Barrier.
Mawj was awarded her PhD degree in 2025 from the University of Sydney under the supervision of Professor Ian Alexander. Her PhD thesis titled ‘Towards therapeutic modulation of the epigenome in females with X-linked liver disease using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors’. Her work concentrated on integrating novel epigenome editing tools to modulate gene expression using elite AAV vectors that can target human tissues with high specificity and efficiency.
After completing her PhD, Mawj joined the Gene Therapy Research Unit as a Post-Doctoral Research Officer working on a project with Associate Professor Grant Logan to develop small molecules to “cloak” the AAV capsid, shielding it from circulating antibodies and allowing gene therapy to reach target tissues. This innovative approach aims to overcome major hurdles in the AAV gene therapy field enabling treatments for conditions like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and others, even in patients with pre-existing antibodies against the AAV capsid.
In her spare time, she is drawing and painting and loves travelling.