TEAM
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

Saima Riazuddin, PhD, MPH, MBA
Academic Title: Professor
Primary Appointment: Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
Secondary Appointment(s): Biochemistry Molecular Biology
Administrative Title: Co-Director for Academic Development
sriazuddin@som.umaryland.edu
Dr. Saima Riazuddin earned her PhD degree from the University of Punjab, Pakistan. She completed her pre-doctoral and postdoctoral training at the National Institute for Deafness and Communication Disorders, NIDCD/NIH. In 2009 she joined the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio as an Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology and Human Genetics. She was subsequently promoted to Associate Professor and tenured in 2013. In 2014, Dr. Riazuddin joined the University of Maryland as an Associate Professor of Otorhinolaryngology and Biochemistry, where she was promoted to Professor in 2016. Dr. Riazuddin’s lab is engaged in inner ear and brain research. She utilizes, human genetics, mouse, and zebrafish model systems to identify genes responsible for various inherited disorders in humans. The results of her research are published in Nature Genetics, Cell, Journal of Clinical Investigation, PLoS Genetics, and Molecular Psychiatry. Dr Riazuddin’s scientific accomplishments have earned several national and international awards, including a Medal of Honor by the President of Pakistan.

Zubair M. Ahmed, PhD
Academic Title: Professor
Primary Appointment: Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
Secondary Appointment(s): Biochemistry Molecular Biology, Ophthalmology
Administrative Title: Co-Director for Academic Development
Associate Chair of Basic Research
zmahmed@som.umaryland.edu
Dr. Ahmed received his Bachelor’s and PhD degrees from the University of Punjab, Pakistan. He accomplished his pre-doctoral as well as his post-doctoral training at the National Institute for Deafness and Communication Disorders, NIDCD/NIH. In 2009 he joined the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, and Human Genetics. He was subsequently promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2013. In July 2014, Dr. Ahmed joined the University of Maryland as an Associate Professor of Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology, and Biochemistry. In July 2016, Dr. Ahmed was promoted to Professor rank. Dr. Ahmed’s scientific accomplishments have earned several national and international awards, including the Career Development Award by the RPB Foundation and a Medal of Honor by the President of Pakistan. He has been continuously funded as a principal investigator since 2007. Dr. Ahmed’s long-term goal is to understand how the retinal and inner ear sensory epithelia develop and function. His lab studies inherited human disorders of the retina and inner ear, like Usher syndrome (USH) and Oculocutaneous Albinism (OCA) to improve our understanding of these organs at the molecular level, to study the pathophysiology of these disorders in animal models to develop new strategies to prevent and treat these neurosensory disorders.
CURRENT MEMBERS

Mary Hackbarth, MS
MD/PhD Student (From 2023 to present)
PubMed
Mary.hackbarth@som.umaryland.edu
Mary received a B.S. and M.S. in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before joining the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program Translational Lab in 2015. There, she investigated genetics and mechanisms of rare inborn errors of metabolism and developed her interests in clinical and translational research. Mary is currently an M.D./Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland Baltimore and joined the Ahmed Lab in August 2023 as a graduate student in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program. Her projects focus on the retinal manifestations of Usher Syndrome and related genetic conditions. Mary is passionate about patient advocacy in rare diseases, medical ethics, and science education. Outside the lab, Mary enjoys spending time outdoors with her two dogs, birdwatching, gardening, and painting.

Tehmeena Akhter, MPhil
Graduate Research Assistant (From April 2022 to present)
takhter@som.umarryland.edu
Tehmeena opted to pursue her career in Human Genetics after earning an M.Sc. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from the University of the Punjab in 2018. She received her M. Phil in Molecular Biology from the Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of Punjab, in 2020, with a major focus on finding the genetic causes of inherited human disorders. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in molecular biology. In April 2022, she joined Dr. Riazuddin’s Lab as a graduate research fellow. Using the zebrafish and mouse models, she is attempting to identify and characterize the genes responsible for inherited human neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly intellectual disabilities. She is interested in investigating the impact of small pharmacological molecules on slowing the progression of neurodevelopmental disorders or even restoring normal neurological functioning. Also, she enjoys painting, playing cricket and badminton, and watching Looney Tunes.

Amna Aurang Zaib, MPhil
Graduate Research Assistant (April 2022 to present)
azaib@som.umaryland.edu
LinkedIn
Amna Aurang Zaib (She/Her) is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Molecular Biology program at the National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab Lahore, Pakistan. Amna completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Zoology. She is currently a research fellow in the Otolaryngology department and works under the supervision of Dr. Riazuddin in neurodevelopmental disorders’ genetic and functional characterization. She also has experience of teaching students with special needs. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and reading outdoors in her free time.

Karen Cifuentes-Godinez, MS
PhD student, (From Sep 2023 to present)
kcifuentesgodinez@som.umaryland.edu
Karen is a second-year Ph.D. student in Molecular Medicine at the University of Maryland Baltimore. She received a B.S. in Biochemistry and Microbiology from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. Prior joining to the Ph.D. program at UMB, she worked on the diagnosis of genetic diseases in Guatemalan patients at Universidad Mariano Galvez in Guatemala. She joined Dr Ahmed’s lab in the Fall of 2023. She is working currently in the genetics of non-syndromic oculocutaneous albinism, and she is interested in the detection and characterization of structural variants and their role in regulation and disease. Outside the lab, Karen enjoys watching documentaries about ancient civilizations and hanging out with family and friends.

Ayesha Shahbaz, MPhil
Graduate Research Assistant (January 2024)
ashahbaz@som.umaryland.edu
Ms. Ayesha earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pakistan. She did her Master’s in Biotechnology from the University of Punjab, Pakistan. Her research work focused on enzymes involved in cancer metabolism. She got enrolled in a Ph.D. at Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Pakistan in 2022. Ms. Ayesha joined Dr. Riazuddin’s lab in January 2024 as a research fellow. Her research work focuses on the molecular genetics of Intellectual disability. Besides this, Ms. Ayesha enjoys traveling, listening to music, and cooking.

Muhammad Awais, MPhil
Graduate Research Assistant (From 2024)
mawais@som.umaryland.edu
M. Awais completed his MPhil in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in 2015. Predominantly, he focused on the development of the molecular diagnosis of pathogens to overcome the pitfalls associated with conventional techniques. Later, he joined the University of Central Punjab as a faculty member, and there he started collaborating with GD groups that were working on β-thalassemia, cystinuria, and glaucoma. In 2021, he started PhD in Molecular Biology and Forensic Sciences at The Punjab University. Based on his previous research interests and expertise, he has been short-listed for the fellowship program in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-HNS, University of Maryland School of Medicine under the supervision of Dr. Zubair Ahmed. In Ahmed’s lab, he is certainly concerned with the identification and characterization of essential genes responsible for hearing and vision impairment in humans, the development of mouse and zebrafish models for functional studies, inner ear phenotyping, and functional characterization of a mouse model responsible for deafness in humans. Outside the lab, Awais is also interested in sports, reading, traveling, and socializing.

Jin-Young Koh, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, (From July 2023 to present)
NCBI | Google Scholar
Jkoh@som.umaryland.edu
Jin-Young is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Ahmed’s lab. Her research focus is characterizing mouse models of human deafness genes and evaluating various therapeutic strategies to rescue the hearing function in the mouse model. Outside of her academic pursuits, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family. Jin-Young grew up near the East Sea in Pohang, South Korea, and earned an M.S. in Medical Science (Neuroscience) from Yonsei University, South Korea. After receiving her M.S., Jin-Young started her research in the U.S. as an RA and completed a Ph.D. in Biomedical engineering from the University of Iowa.

Yaping Ji, MD,PhD
Yaping.Ji@som.umaryland.edu
Yaping Ji obtained her M.D. degree (1989) and Ph.D degree in Physiology (1997) in Xi’an JiaoTong University in P.R. China. She received postdoctoral training in the Department of Neural and Pain Sciences in School of Dentistry, University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMB). She’d acquired extensive knowledge and skills in Neuroscience during the period. Yaping is currently a lab manager/lead specialist in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology in UMB. Her current position involves managing all research labs in the department as well as conducting cancer immunology and cancer stem cell research. She performs RNA and protein analysis of cultured cells and patient samples using RT-PCR, Western blots, immunocytochemistry, and flow cytometry methods. Her research findings have generated multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals. Yaping is a dedicated researcher who’s hoping to use her knowledge and experience to make a difference in many research areas. She is easygoing and always willing to help others.

Valerie Delss, MS
Graduate Student (From 2024 to present)
Valerie is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry at Mount St. Mary’s University in 2024. She is currently completing a rotation in Dr. Ahmed’s lab working on retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Her project focuses on the role of CIB2 in autophagy. She also enjoys hiking, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends.

Saiqa Khushal, MPhil
Research Scholar (2025)
Saiqa earned her Master’s and MPhil in Zoology from the Mirpur University of Science and Technology, MUST, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. She is now pursuing her PhD in Zoology from the Department of Zoology, MUST, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Her research work focused on the identification, enrollment, and clinical evaluation of families associated with Oculocutaneous Albinism (OCA), which is a rare human genetic disease. Saiqa is currently accepted as a short-term research scholar at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, in the department of otorhinolaryngology. She joined Ahmed Lab in Feb 2025. Her project focuses on the whole exome analysis of 20 Pakistani families affected by OCA to identify novel genes underlying this disorder. Besides this, Saiqa enjoys traveling and cooking.

Ujwala Pimparkar, MS
Lab Manager (From 2024 to present)
Ujwala Pimparkar holds a Master’s degree in chemistry from Pune University and recently earned a Master’s in Regulatory Science from the University of Maryland. She brings extensive expertise in managing mouse colonies, animal surgery, human cell culture, and molecular biology techniques. Ujwala joined the lab of Dr. Riazuddin and Dr. Ahmed in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the University of Maryland. Her research interests include laboratory operations management, with a focus on drafting IACUC protocols and monitoring budgets, while also contributing to various research projects within the lab.
ALUMNI

Md Firoz Kabir, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2022-2025

Daniel Sutton, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2023-2024

Jacob Wagner
MD/PhD student 2024

Sehar Riaz, PhD
Research Fellow 2019-2024

Glenn Elias, DVM
Lab Manager 2023-2024

Ahmed Mumeen, BS
Internee 2024

Sami Khan, BS
Internee 2024

Sakina Rehman, MS
Research Fellow 2019-2024

Amama Ghaffar, PhD
Research Fellow 2019-2024

Smirnov Exilus, MD
Resident 2023

Sudan Puri, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2021-2022

Samuel Garmoe, BS
Lab Manager 2020-2022

Saumil Sethna, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2015-2020, Instructor 2020-2021

Muhammad Asad Usmani, PhD
Research Fellow 2018-2021

Arnaud P. Giese, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2014-2019, Instructor 2019-2020

Elodie M. Richard, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2014-2019, Faculty Research Associate 2019-2020

Ramisha Khan, MS
Research Fellow 2019-2020

Dimitria Gomes, BS
Lab Manager 2016-2020

Rafaqat Ishaq, PhD
Research Fellow 2018-2020

Sairah Yousaf, PhD
Research Fellow 2015-2018

Kalsoom Zaigham, PhD
Research Fellow 2017-2018

Irum Badshah, PhD
Research Fellow 2018

Zureesha Sajid, PhD
Research Fellow 2018

Rizwan Yousaf, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2012-2017

Xiaohong Deng, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2014-2016

Mureed Hussain, PhD
Research Fellow 2015-2016

Andleeb Hanif, PhD
Research Fellow 2015-2016

Danisha Gallop, HS
Research Assistant 2013-2016

Mohsin Shahzad, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2014-2016

Zain M. Rizvi, MBBS
Research Fellow 2014-2015

Fareeha Zulfiqar, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2014-2015

Lindsay Schroeder, BS
Research Assistant

Sarah Mahlthews, MS
Research Assistant

Saima Anwar, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow Fellow

Claire Trincot, PhD
Research Assistant 2011-2013

Gori Nayak, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2011-2014

Manna Li, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2016-2017

Sergiu Costinas, MD
Research Assistant 2015-2019

Christopher John Rizzi, MD
Resident 2017

Liron Berger, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow

Khitab Gul, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow 2011-2012

Thomas Jaworek, BS
Research Assistant 2012-2014
