Najat Mokhtar: A Lifelong Passion for Science and Service

Growing up in Morocco, Mokhtar’s passion for science defied the expectations placed on many girls of her generation. “I loved understanding how things worked,” she said. Two forces shaped her path: inspiring teachers who recognized her potential, and her grandmother's enduring wisdom: “You need to rely on yourself — anything is possible.”

This self-reliance carried her through university, where she studied biology with a specialization in biochemistry and food science. Her research on metabolism and dietary impacts reflected her fascination with the science of nutrition. After completing her bachelor's degree, she earned a doctorate in France followed by a PhD in Canada, where she studied the critical links between hormones and nutrition — work that would later inform her approach to public health challenges.

Working at the IAEA was never part of Mokhtar’s plan. Returning to Morocco after her PhD, she was determined to address malnutrition and women’s health gaps in her home country. “There were no advanced programs in nutrition research,” she said. Mokhtar pioneered the first master’s and PhD programmes in the field, securing grants and collaborating with international organizations to build capacity.

Her career took an unexpected turn during a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University when she stumbled upon an IAEA job posting. “I didn’t even know how nutrition fit into the IAEA’s work,” she said. She discovered that the IAEA used nuclear techniques like stable isotope analysis to track nutrient absorption and body composition — critical tools for addressing malnutrition.?Intrigued by this innovative approach, she applied for the job and soon became the sole nutrition specialist at the IAEA.

“It was daunting,” she said. “I had to learn everything from scratch, from nuclear applications to environmental health. But my colleagues were generous mentors, and I asked endless questions.” Balancing two young children, a new country and a demanding new role tested her resilience. “My husband was my rock,” she said. “Without his support, I wouldn’t have survived those early years.” She credits her family’s adaptability — and Vienna’s enriching multicultural environment — for shaping her children’s worldview. “Stepping out of your comfort zone changes you. It’s a gift.”

Mokhtar's rise to Deputy Director General reflects both her scientific acumen and her commitment to nurturing talent. She vividly recalled the university professor of endocrinology who first showed her what women could achieve: “She was brilliant, respected and unafraid to step outside social norms.” Her PhD supervisors demonstrated how excellence and humility could coexist. “They lifted entire research teams while doing groundbreaking science.”

Now she pays this forward through active mentoring, particularly for women and youth. She is a champion of the IAEA’s Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP), which supports young women from around the world with scholarships for master’s studies in nuclear fields, and she regularly engages with its beneficiaries. "When students from the Global South thrive in science, or women lead projects they once couldn't access - that's what matters," she says.

Mokhtar considers her greatest achievement to be the tangible impacts she has helped to drive, including advancements in global nutrition security, capacity-building programs in STEM, and seeing women she mentored through the MSCF Programme leading laboratories.

“When I visit Member States and see students applying these methods or meet women directing projects that once had no place for them — that’s when I know our work matters,” she said, her voice warm with conviction.

Her ability to take risks and be open to new experiences informs her advice to young scientists: “The unknown isn’t a barrier — it’s where the meaningful work begins. Had I stayed within expected boundaries, I’d never have discovered how nuclear science could address the malnutrition challenges I cared about.”

Mokhtar’s vision for the future mirrors her own journey — creating systems that outlast individual involvement. She champions sustainable training programmes that empower countries to adapt nuclear technologies to their evolving needs, and advocates fiercely for initiatives like the Lise Meitner Programme that dismantle barriers for women in STEM. “Real progress, comes when we stop creating single opportunities and start building ecosystems of access,” she concluded.

The IAEA is committed to gender equality and to supporting the ability of all individuals, regardless of gender, to equally contribute to and benefit from its programmes and activities.?

In 2020, the IAEA launched the?Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme?to support the next generation of women nuclear professionals by offering scholarships for master’s studies in nuclear-related fields. In 2023, the IAEA inaugurated the?Lise Meitner Programme to provide professional development opportunities for early- and mid-career women working in nuclear fields.?

Read more about the IAEA’s work on?gender equality, and apply for?vacancies, internships or pipelines.?