Lara has been a consultant for the political and military sides of Syrian opposition since 2013. Previously, Lara was a Senior Political Advisor in the British Parliament, focusing on the Middle East. She has also worked in Palestine, in the West Bank and then in the Gaza Strip after Operation Cast Lead 2008-2009. Lara speaks Arabic and holds an Oxford University degree in Theology, specialising in Islam, and an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from SOAS, University of London, during 2013 she was a guest researcher at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative.