Wasim Sajjad

Biography

Dr. Wasim Sajjad serves as an Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Convener of the BioCluster Society at the National University of Medical Sciences in Pakistan. He is a distinguished Fulbright Scholar and has held the position of CAS-PIFI Visiting Associate Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dr. Sajjad is an IFBA-certified professional, a HSP-Biosecurity Champ Fellow, and was among the 30 young scientists from the Global South selected for the Geneva Biosecurity Diplomacy Workshop in 2022.

In 2024, Dr. Sajjad was a speaker at the World Young Scientists Summit (WYSS), where he presented his research on “A Treasure Hunt for Extremophiles to Drive Sustainable Development Goals,” addressing climate action, life on land, and global partnerships. He also contributed to a roundtable discussion on Science and Technology Diplomacy Serving Sustainable Development, delivering a talk on “Promoting STEM Education by the Concept of Bio-Mimicry.” Last year, Dr. Sajjad was invited to an international science and technology conference in preparation for the Ninth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in Geneva. He also participated as one of 30 notable speakers at the Career Fest Expo 2022, organized by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training.

Dr. Sajjad has been nominated as the focal person for the Prime Minister Innovation League, an initiative aimed at fostering innovative ideas among students aligned with eight UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a mentor, he is dedicated to maximizing the potential of young entrepreneurs. Additionally, he serves as the regional coordinator for the Eastern Mediterranean at the NextGen Global Health Security Network. Dr. Sajjad’s core expertise lies in microbiology, with a focused research area in antimicrobials, microbial byproducts, biosafety, biosecurity, and science diplomacy. He was a global runner-up in the 2021 Global Idea Market and the global winner in 2022 at SRI, a joint initiative by Future Earth and the Belmont Forum USA. He has published over 25 research articles and has presented his work at various forums, as well as facilitated capacity-building workshops on IPC, biosafety, and biosecurity with PBSA and NIH.

Dr. Sajjad’s diverse experience spans academia, industry, and government. His roles with the Pakistan Biological Safety Association, Health Security Partners, and the International Federation of Biosafety Associations have involved topics such as science diplomacy, dual-use research concerns, biosafety, biosecurity, and bio-economy. He is a master biosafety and biosecurity trainer, an active member of the American Society for Microbiology, and a member of the APECS Science Diplomacy group. In 2021, he received a competitive research grant from the Higher Education Commission to focus on isolating antimicrobial peptides from marine sources against multidrug-resistant pathogens. He also led a major campaign to raise awareness of antimicrobial resistance through the WHO World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (NUMS-WAAW) and promoted STEM education through agar art projects involving students.

Awards