Summary / Notes

Dr. Zahra Zahid Piracha is a Pakistani microbiologist, virologist, and molecular medicine specialist with over a decade of research, teaching, and laboratory management experience across Pakistan and South Korea. She currently serves as Assistant Professor at Riphah International University, Islamabad, and has held academic and scientific positions at Ajou University, Jeonju University, Health Services Academy, and the World Health Organization. Her research spans viral pathogenesis, hepatitis B virus persistence, sirtuin biology, antimicrobial resistance, vaccine development, and global burden of disease epidemiology. Dr. Piracha has co-authored numerous high-impact publications in The Lancet, JAMA Oncology, Nature Medicine, Frontiers in Microbiology, and Journal of Virology, contributing to landmark Global Burden of Disease studies and pioneering work on host–virus interactions and antiviral strategies. She has extensive expertise in advanced virological techniques, BSL-3 biosafety operations, molecular diagnostics, and vaccine quality control, and has received multiple international awards and competitive research scholarships, including the prestigious Global Korea Scholarship for her PhD and Post-Doctorate in Molecular Medicine from Ajou University. Fluent in Urdu, English, and Korean, Dr. Piracha is recognized for her cross-disciplinary collaborations, integration of artificial intelligence in vaccine research, and commitment to training the next generation of scientists.