Team

Seham Ebrahim

PI

Seham obtained an M.Sc.in Biotechnology at the Hamuburg Institute of Technology in Germany before pursuing a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at Queen Mary University of London. Her passion for understanding how cytoskeletal networks regulate cells and tissues in health and disease using high-resolution microscopy then led her across the pond to pursue Postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health. Seham joined UVA as a Assistant Professor in early 2022.

Gaizun Hu

Research Scientist

Gaizun Hu is a research scientist in Dr. Ebrahim’s lab. He previously worked in the field of renal physiology and metabolism. In 2022, he joined the Ebrahim Lab as a postdoctoral research associate and shifted his research focus from the kidney to the intestinal tract.He is involved in most of the lab’s research projects and also oversees general maintenance. His primary research interests are septin and myosin projects. Septins, as novel cytoskeletal elements, play diverse roles in cellular activities, yet many of their functions remain understudied. Gaizun is particularly interested in septin 9, which has been shown to regulate intestinal diseases, including colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases. He is also exploring the broader roles of septin 9 in other diseases and organs.In his daily life, Gaizun describes himself as a generally boring person. His current hobbies include playing with his pet bunnies, watching TV, and sleeping.

Daiki "KJ" Kajioka

Postdoctoral Research Associate

KJ completed his PhD and served as an Assistant Professor at Wakayama Medical University, where he focused on sex differentiation and developmental biology. He then studied apoptotic cell death and dead cell clearance in tissue homeostasis at the University of Virginia (UVA). Currently, he is investigating the role of mechanosensory signaling—particularly that mediated by the TMC gene family—in maintaining intestinal homeostasis and in the pathogenesis of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), using high-resolution imaging techniques in the Ebrahim lab at the UVA.

Dominik Robak

Graduate Student

Dominik completed his B.Sc. in Molecular and Cellular Biophysics at Jagiellonian University and is currently finishing his M.Sc. in Bioinformatics at the same institution. His scientific interests lie in microscopy and the application of machine learning in microscopic image analysis. Additionally, Dominik is also engaged in genomic/omic data analysis and participates in various projects related to novel cancer therapies.

Sharon Wenxuan Zheng

Graduate Student

Sharon graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. in biomedical engineering in May 2021. Before joining the Ebrahim Lab in April 2023, she has been working on imaging the release of neurotransmitters using genetically encoded fluorescent sensors. She is currently interested in studying the mechanism of how the cytoskeleton network regulates the vesicle release of secretory cells using in vivo imaging.

Wing Yun

Medical Student (M2)

Wing Yun graduated from the University of Washington in 2022 with a B.S. in bioengineering. She is currently in her second year of medical school and working towards a surgical residency. She joined the Ebrahim lab in the summer of 2025 and is interested in uncovering intestinal cellular mechanics through intravital microscopy and using image processing to design machine learning models for intestinal tissues. Outside of academics, she enjoys swimming, true crime shows and podcasts, and attempting to teach her two cats tricks (still stuck on rolling over).

Liam Slocomb

Undergraduate Researcher

Liam is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a B.A. in Biology. He joined the lab in September 2025 as an undergraduate research assistant. His academic interests center on cell biology and the molecular mechanisms underlying physiological processes. Outside the lab, he enjoys snowboarding, spending time outdoors, and playing pick-up sports with friends.