Meet the Suleiman Lab Team
Meet the Principal Investigator
Hani Suleiman, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Internal Medicine and Biomedical Engineering
Division of Nephrology
Hani Suleiman, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine's Division of Nephrology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, with a secondary appointment in Biomedical Engineering. His research focuses on kidney podocytes and the cellular mechanisms that support kidney filtration, particularly the actin cytoskeleton and signaling pathways involved in kidney health and disease. Dr. Suleiman earned his medical degree from Damascus University, completed his Ph.D. at the University of Regensburg in Germany, and received postdoctoral training at Washington University School of Medicine before joining the UT Southwestern faculty in 2024.
Lab Members
Ewa Langner, Ph.D.
Instructor
Born and raised in Poland, Ewa earned an M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University and a Ph.D. in Health Science from the Medical University in Poland. She completed her postdoctoral training in Moe Mahjoub’s Lab at Washington University in St. Louis, supported in part by a scholarship from the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), where she investigated molecular alterations in renal ciliopathies, including polycystic kidney disease (PKD), the consequences of defective centrosome biogenesis during kidney development and disease, and established a super-resolution U-ExM expansion microscopy protocol for kidney imaging. Recently joining the UT Southwestern Division of Nephrology as a junior faculty member, she is developing projects to understand how disruptions in podocyte actin and microtubule cytoskeletal networks contribute to proteinuria and glomerular injury. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and developing healthy baking recipes.
Karla Parra, Ph.D.
Research Scientist/Lab Manager
Karla is a dedicated researcher with a strong focus on in vivo work related to metastatic procedures. Outside the lab, Karla loves traveling and immersing herself in different cultures. She’s also a cooking enthusiast, and if you’re into horror films, she’s your go-to person for a good scary movie recommendation—she loves the thrill of a gripping story.
Shumeng Jiang Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Shumeng is a postdoctoral researcher with both engineering and biological backgrounds. His research focuses on understanding the mechanobiology of podocytes through mechanical manipulation, as well as investigating their cytoskeletal integrity in depth using techniques such as super-resolution imaging. Outside the lab, Shumeng is a travel enthusiast who enjoys exploring nature and historical sites.
Michael Tu
Research Assistant
Michael is interested in discovering how glomerular diseases are affected by the actin filament network. Outside of lab, Michael enjoys bouldering and exploring Dallas. Michael has earned a B.S. in Toxicology and B.S. in Molecular Biology from University of California, Berkeley before joining the Suleiman Lab in October 2025.
Preksha Khatlawala
Research Associate
Preksha is a Research Associate with a background in cellular and molecular biology. “Outside of work, I love traveling and exploring new places whenever I get the chance. I also enjoy reading fiction novels, especially stories that let me escape into a different world for a while.”
Fatima Briseno
Summer Student
Khadijah Mahmooda Syeda
Undergraduate Student | UT Dallas
Jayden Askew
Undergraduate Student | Texas Southern University
Join Our Lab
If you're interested in joining our team, please reach out to learn more about open positions.