After completing my PhD from Sheffield University in 2000, I returned to my home country to pursue an important academic career. In educational roles I served as Chairman of the Medical Laboratory Technology Department and Vice Dean for Postgraduate studies & scientific research i... Read more

     After completing my PhD from Sheffield University in 2000, I returned to my home country to pursue an important academic career. In educational roles I served as Chairman of the Medical Laboratory Technology Department and Vice Dean for Postgraduate studies & scientific research in the Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz university. After an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in the Southern region of Saudi Arabia I act as a founder for the establishment of the Special Infectious Agents Unit (SIAU) which contains a full range of facilities including Biosafety Level 3 which allows us to ambulate and culture risk group 3 viruses in Saudi Arabia & gulf states for the first time. Since May 2003, I lead the Special Infectious Agents Unit and our international collaboration extended to implement a standard protocols in the infectious agents diagnostics procedure through different mode of collaboration including exchange of expertise, joint research program and more recently a technology transfer agreements with number of International institute sharing same interests. Furthermore, we have been engaged in number of mass gathering research related to Hajj & Umrah plus number of national services under the collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH) through which, we utilize our Mobile biosafety level 3 Lab to enhance the diagnostics of MERS CoV in the Holly sites during Hajj since 2014. I served as a Deputy Director of the King Fahd Medical Research Center through it I start empowering many young Saudis to take-up the challenges of scientific research. In 2016, I have been awarded A Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh based on my contribution to the infectious agent's research and services through a nomination by two international distinguished Professors.  In our SIAU and with a powerful team we have an excellent basic science, molecular and clinical translational research portfolio on commonly encountered pathogens, and a special interest in emerging and re-emerging viral infections of humans, particularly viral hemorrhagic fevers, Rift valley fever, and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus with an extensive experience of conduct and supervision of research with over 190 peer reviewed publications. My research on Microbial aspects of infectious diseases internationally recognized as it pose a threat to global health security (due to several millions pilgrims coming to Saudi Arabia from 182 countries). My recent studies of the MSER-CoV outbreak and screening of blood donors, slaughter houses, and nosocomial outbreaks were of international attention and published in high impact journals. My research has made valuable contributions through in-vivo and in-virto animal and human studies and to the identification, isolation, molecular characterization, viral kinetics, translation and diagnosis of several human viral pathogens which are a threat to global health security due to millions of pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia every year from 182 countries: with particular areas of interests in: Alkhurma Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses; Rift Valley Fever Virus and more recently the new global infectious diseases threat, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). My work was highlighted internationally when one of my MERS CoV study provide definitive evidence of the zoonotic transmission of MERS-CoV from camels to humans (manuscript published in New England Journal of Medicine, Azhar E et al., 2014). I am extremely motivated in pursuing cutting-edge research for the advancement of science related to infectious agents.