Monika Raj completed her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at one of the premier institute in India, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. Following postdoctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University. Dr. Raj joined the faculty at Seton Hall University, NJ, in 2014 and then moved to Auburn University in 2017 before moving to Emory University as an Associate Professor in 2020 and promote to full professor in 2024.

Much of Dr. Raj's research focuses on understanding the roles proteins play in various physiological and pathological processes and utilizes this knowledge to identify novel therapeutic targets and drugs to treat diseases. To achieve these goals, Dr. Raj focuses on the development of novel chemical probes, cyclic peptides, synthetic strategies, and imaging tools that draw from core disciplines of organic and biological chemistry. Dr. Raj is also interested in identifying posttranslational modifications (PTMs), imaging enzymes responsible for these PTMs, and determining their role in various signaling pathways. Raj’s work was recognized by several awards NSF CAREER award in 2018, NIH MIRA award 2019, Sloan Research Award in 2020 and  Rising Star Award in 2024 from American Chemical Society(ACS). Raj received several lectureship awards in chemical biology across the globe, including the American Peptide Society (APS), Japanese Peptide Society, and the German Science Foundation. Dr. Raj received Distinguished Faculty Lecture, Emory College of Arts and Science (2023) and recognized as Kavli Fellow by National Academy of Sciences (2023)