Sumaiya has uveitis, a rare autoimmune disease causing inflammation of her retina and impairing her vision. As a rare disease patient, she wants to help others like her by investigating the mechanisms underlying monogenic diseases, single-gene disorders that make up most rare genetic diseases. As a BroadIgnite awardee, she will study how single amino acid mutations dictate the structure and functions of proteins—thus, setting the stage for more effective precision medicine treatments for rare monogenic genetic disorders.