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.

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.

Sharon Wenxuan Zheng

Graduate Student (BIMS)

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 imagin

Dominik Robak

Graduate Student (BIMS)

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.

Alex Webb

Graduate Student (BIMS)

Alex graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2020 with a B.S. in Microbiology. Before joining the Ebrahim Lab in 2025, he spent a few years working on DNA transport proteins and protein production in B. subtilis. Making a dramatic switch, he now investigates lipid scrambling in spermatids. Outside the lab, Alex enjoys reading, soccer, hiking, and travel.

Raquel Gaither

Graduate Student (BIMS)

Raquel graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2022 with a B.S. in Biology. Before joining the Ebrahim Lab in 2026, she worked on understanding the role of RNA binding protein mislocalization in the context of colorectal cancer. She then completed an NIH post-bacc program, during which she used multispectral imaging and computational image analysis to establish the first organelle interactome in skeletal muscle cells. She is currently interested in understanding how tight junctions and intestinal barrier integrity are disrupted in Hirschsprung Disease. Outside the lab, Raquel enjoys reading and spending time with friends.

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.

Nyla Nokta

Undergraduate Researcher

Nyla Nokta is a pre-med rising third year, and I am studying Behavioral Neuroscience and Education. She plans to apply to medical school after graduation. At UVA, she is involved in the Arab Student Organization as Executive Director. She also works as a nursing assistant at UVA Encompass Health. She joined the Ebrahim Lab because she has a strong interest in the body and cell biology and wants to learn more in order to create meaningful differences. Outside of the lab and school, she loves traveling around the world, hanging out with her friends, and spending time with her family + cats!