Maysa Ismael worked for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for five years prior to commencing her Masters in Sociology: Human Rights, Culture and Social Justice in 2016. During her time at UNHCR, Maysa was responsible for mobilising community support in Damascus for refugees, including support of Yezidi refugees in 2014. Prior to this, Maysa worked with IOM on projects relating to victims of trafficking in Syria and support for female-headed families. She also spent three years at the Orient Center for International Studies as a researcher, providing analytical reports on Syira, Lebanon and the US.