Deina Abdelkader is a scholar of international relations with a specialised focus on Islamic activism and the intersections of politics, religion, and culture in the Middle East and North Africa. Her academic expertise lies in the field of comparative democratization in the Muslim world. As an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, she teaches a range of courses, including Islam and Politics, Islamic Legal Thought, Middle East and North African Politics, and Women in Islam. She currently serves as Director of the university's Peace and Conflict Studies Program.