Ahmed Afify

As a dedicated virologist with over 13 years of experience using a variety of molecular biology techniques including cell culture, viruses’ propagation and titration, western immunoblotting, RNA/DNA purification, cloning, qPCR and ELISA.

My diverse training in virology and immunology has placed me in a unique position to run independent research aimed to understand molecular determinants of viral pathogenesis (infection) and the ways viruses have adapted to avoid host immunity in different hosts. Likewise, other research focus is to investigating viruses’ evolution and defining the functional role of evolutionary changes on virus antigenicity, virulence, transmission and host-range, and developing reagents and assays for rapid detection and differentiation of virus subtypes. Moreover, the findings of my research may open new therapeutic avenues within the molecular and cellular biology, genetic manipulation, and proteomics.

Diagnosis of all animal viral infection (experience includes viruses belonging to the following families: Arteriviridae, Herpesviridae, Poxviridae, flaviviridae, coronaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Reoviridae, Picornaviridae, Bunyaviridae and Circoviridae.

2.  Sero- prevalence and surveillance for epidemics animal viral infections.

3.  Working in virus strains bank for titration, propagation, concentration and purification of viruses.

4.  Evaluation of antiviral drugs.

5.  Field visits for collection of appropriate specimens for lab diagnosis in viral epidemics.

6.  Implementing the ISO 17025 Standards with Quality Team

7.  Perfect knowledge of some advanced virological diagnostic assays:

a)  Serological techniques (ELISA – AGID – IFAT -HA, HI – CFT- SNT)

b)  Viral isolation (including all routes: cell culture, ECE and lab animals).

c)  Cell culture technology: Primary cell culture preparation, working with and development of established cell lines, and virus isolation and propagation on cell cultures.

d)  Virus concentration and purification techniques.

e)  Production of diagnostic reagents including viral antigens and antisera through hyper-immunization of animals (experience includes rabbits and guinea pigs)

f)   Development of homemade ELISA kits for viral diagnosis.

• Bachelor of Veterinary Medical Sciences                                                      2008

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.

First 5% of the class.

• Master of Veterinary Medical Sciences (Virology)                                      2013

Department of virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt

• PhD of Veterinary Medical Sciences (Virology)                                            2017

Department of virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt