Sami Mohammed studied Pharmacy at the University of Asmara, Eritrea. In 2011, he decided to pursue a master programme of Biomedical Sciences, majoring in both toxicology and human pathobiology, at Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Subsequently, as a PhD candidate at the department of Physiology, he investigated the role of fluid shear stress and primary cilia in the regulation of renal electrolyte handling. His work involved setting-up a fluid flow chamber system to simulate the in vivo situation of urine flow in renal tubules. He acquired different lab skills including molecular cloning (CRISPR/Cas9), immunostaining, microscopy, and animal experiments (mouse and zebrafish).

Sami has long been enthralled by Technology-driven medicine for the treatment of challenging diseases. In this regard, he decided to shift his research from one amazing body organ, the kidney, to another, the pancreas. He joined the islet research group of Dr Aart van Apeldoorn in the MERLN Institute, to develop islet delivery devices for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. He is exploring the vast world of extracellular matrix to enhance the function and durability of islet delivery devices after transplantation.