Sumaira received her Masters from University of Punjab (Lahore, Pakistan), Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechynology working on the purification and characterization of S-Layer protein as a nanocarrier in diagnostic assays. After her Master thesis, she stayed at the same institute as a Lecturer, and worked on several projects such as isolation of biotechnology-relevant enzymes, pathogenic bacteria, diagnostics development, and the development of nano-carriers as vaccine delivery systems.

She joined the Stauber Group as a PhD student in 2017 to study the cell physiological role of anion transport.