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#IAmNYAS: Mohamed El Zowalaty

Science careers can give you opportunities to travel around the world and also implement solutions to global challenges. Meet a scientist doing both.

Published November 23, 2015

#IAmNYAS: Mohamed El Zowalaty

Meet virologist, microbiologist, and Academy Member Mohamed El Zowalaty, PhD. Mohamed, or "Mez," has been passionate about biology for as long as he can remember. From participating in science competitions in elementary school to his family for providing a scientific environment, support and inspiration, everything helped lead him to a career in science.

For this #IAmNYAS profile, we asked Mohamed about his scientific interests, his experiences conducting research around the world, and his community outreach.

What are you currently working on?

I am working on research projects focused on zoonotic diseases, including the MERS coronaviruses, nanoparticles of biomedical application as antimicrobial agents, and the microbiome as it relates to human health.

Who has been your biggest science inspiration?

My late father Dr. Ezzat El Zowalaty. He was a veterinarian who inspired me to study at the animal-human interface. The animal-human interface refers to diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans (zoonotic diseases), or from humans to animals (zooanthroponosis). I find veterinary science to be a cornerstone field in improving human health.

What have been some of the most rewarding moments of your career?                   

Conducting my doctoral research on the surveillance and diagnosis of avian influenza and Newcastle disease from wild aquatic birds in the American Midwest at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Also, my international fellowships. I was awarded a governmental postdoctoral scholarship from the Malaysian government in 2011, where I joined the Institute of Bioscience, the sole R&D institute in Malaysia at Universiti Putra Malaysia. In 2013, I was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the Academy of Medical Sciences in London, UK. And in 2014, I was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship Emory University School of Medicine in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

What are some of the things you do outside the lab?

Arts, reading, tennis, and I volunteer in community and childhood education initiatives on various topics aiming to improve health.

Also, a few months back, I was selected as a champion and listed member for Antibiotic Action, an independent, global initiative funded by the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC). Antibiotic Action contributes to national and international activities aiming to improve public awareness on antimicrobial resistance.


Would you also like to leverage your expertise to address global issues? The Global STEM Alliance wants you! We are currently accepting mentor applications. Apply today!