Sherif Zaki
American pathologist (1955–2021)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sherif R. Zaki (November 24, 1955 – November 21, 2021) was an Egyptian American pathologist. He was the chief of the Centers for Disease Control infectious diseases pathology branch.[1][2] Sometimes called a "disease detective", his career included research on Ebola outbreaks, Zika virus outbreaks, the 2001 anthrax attacks, Nipah virus, leptospirosis and COVID-19.[3][4]
Early life and education
Zaki was born in Alexandria, Egypt.[3] He graduated from the Alexandria University School of Medicine in 1978.[5] While undergoing an orthopedic medicine residency, he took an interest in pathology and successfully secured a scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to pursue his PhD. He relocated once again to Emory University to pursue a joint PhD and residency in experimental pathology.[6]
Career
Zaki joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1988.[7] In the early 1990s, Zaki contributed to the discovery that hantaviruses were causing a previously unexplained series of deaths among members of the Navajo Nation.[5] He participated in the processing and identification of the anthrax strain used during the 2001 anthrax attacks.[8][9] He contributed to research into the use of the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir against the Nipah virus, finding a protective effect in animal trials.[4] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Zaki studied the causes of fatality related to SARS-CoV-2 and the virus' impact on pregnancy.[9]