Shahin Sheik
Clinical Virologist with 12+ years of frontline experience in emerging viral outbreak response, BSL-2/BSL-3 containment operations, molecular diagnostics, and high-throughput pathogen & human genomics. Recognized for frontline diagnostic leadership during the 2018 Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala and multi-state arbovirus and respiratory surveillance networks.
Virology Surveillance, Containment & Genomics
Progressed from Research Assistant to Senior Research Officer, supervising 150+ scientific and field staff across BSL-2 and BSL-3 virology laboratories. Coordinated multi-state surveillance and diagnostic pipelines for Nipah, Chikungunya, Dengue, Zika, Influenza A (H7N9), Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), Enteroviruses, and Adenoviruses. Served as NABL ISO 15189 Quality Manager, Biosafety Officer, and lead coordinator for commissioning the institute's new BSL-3 containment campus, while lecturing and guiding 8 MSc Clinical Virology dissertations.
Scaled high-throughput sequencing operations across >500,000 samples using automated liquid-handling robotics (Tecan Freedom EVO, Opentrons OT-2) and multi-platform sequencers (Illumina NovaSeq 6000, MGI T7/T10, Oxford Nanopore PromethION), building deep expertise transferable to metagenomic and viral whole-genome surveillance.
Supervised 10+ laboratory personnel in a cGMP-certified (ISO 5) cleanroom facility. Directed aseptic mammalian cell culture, hiPSC differentiation, MSC/HSC cryopreservation, qPCR (QuantStudio 5), and sequencing workflows (Thermo GeneStudio S5 Prime, MGI G50).
Performed clinical diagnostic testing across Immunology, Serology, Hematology, Clinical Biochemistry, and Microbiology departments.
Research Publications & Proceedings
View full list of 16+ indexed articles, mumps genotyping studies, and TEPHINET surveillance proceedings on Google Scholar →
Virology, BSL-3 Containment & Sequencing Capabilities
Classical & Molecular Virology
Biosafety, Quality & Phylogenetics
Viral & High-Throughput Genomics
Virology & Public Health Commentary
From Outbreak Response to Genomic Frontiers: A Virologist’s Journey Through Emerging Infectious Diseases
Emerging and re-emerging viral diseases continue to shape global health in profound ways. From localized outbreaks to worldwide pandemics, viruses constantly challenge…
Nipah Virus Outbreak in India (2026): What Virologists and Public Health Professionals Need to Know
In late December 2025 and early January 2026, the Indian state of West Bengal reported a cluster of Nipah virus (NiV) infections,…
Revolutionizing Virology: iPSC-Derived Organoids Illuminate Viral Mysteries
In the dynamic field of virology, the quest to understand and combat viral infections has reached new heights through the integration of…
Education, Teaching & Fellowships
Education & Thesis
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M.Sc. in Clinical Virology (First Class, CGPA 7.95/10) — Manipal Institute of Virology, Manipal University (2012–2014)
Thesis: Development of a Quality Control Sera Panel for Dengue IgM ELISA (Guide: Dr. G. Arunkumar) - B.Sc. in Medical Laboratory Technology — Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (2007–2012)
Teaching, Fellowships & Biosafety
- • Postgraduate Virology Lecturer & Mentor: Taught Basic/Systemic Virology, Cell Culture & Lab Design; guided 8 MSc Clinical Virology dissertations
- • Wellcome Connecting Science Fellow — Cancer Genome Analysis Asia, Wellcome Genome Campus UK (2025)
- • BSL-3 Containment Commissioning Certified — RISKREN, Singapore
- • NABL ISO 15189 Assessor & NIH Human Research Participants Certified
- • Member — American Society for Microbiology (ASM) & DHA Licensed Technologist
Get in Touch
Open to academic virology collaborations, infectious disease surveillance consulting, BSL-2/BSL-3 laboratory planning, and research discussions.
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shahinsheik
ORCID: 0000-0003-3285-2470