She earned her PhD in Mental Health from Ain Shams University, Egypt. Her research interests lie in health and social psychology. Khalifa has taught a number of courses in her field of study, including: Adolescent Development and Special Education. She has also published various articles on educational philosophy, including: "Creativity Barriers among Students in the Arab World" and "Learning Motivation among the Students of Qatar University and its Relationship to some Variables". Khalifa was recently rewarded a Qatar National Research Fund Grant for a research project entitled "Mental Health and Issues among College Students in Qatar".