Banan Alhazmi
Post-doc

Banan was born and raised in Saudi Arabia and earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) under the mentorship of Professors Suzana Nunes and Gyorgy Szekely. Her doctoral research focused on developing macrocycle-based membranes with enhanced molecular selectivity for pharmaceutical separations in organic solvents. Her work was recognized with the EMS Best Paper Award 2025. Banan is a recipient of the KACST-MIT Ibn Khaldun Fellowship as part of the 2026 cohort. In the Smith Lab, she will broaden her expertise and explore polymeric membrane materials for acid gas sweetening and hydrogen separations. Beyond research, Banan is committed to advancing sustainability and environmental stewardship. She has contributed to sustainability initiatives through leadership roles with KAUST Students for Sustainability and Saudi Youth for Sustainability. Outside of work, Banan enjoys yoga, reading, and hiking.