Chicago – February 09, 2026
When the world faced its biggest health crisis in a century, one of the calmest and most authoritative voices in India’s scientific community was Dr. Shahid Jameel—a proud alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). His scientific journey began at AMU’s Chemistry Department, where he earned his B.Sc. in 1977 and M.Sc. in 1979, developing the intellectual discipline that would later define his illustrious career.
Dr. Jameel went on to complete his Ph.D. at Washington State University and postdoctoral research at the University of Colorado, focusing on molecular virology. Over the decades, he has become internationally recognized for groundbreaking research on the Hepatitis E virus and for establishing the Virology Group at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), which advanced India’s research on HIV-1 subtypes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, as Chair of India’s SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), Dr. Jameel played a crucial role in tracking virus variants and guiding national policy through science-based communication. Recipient of the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize and a Fellow of all major Indian science academies, Dr. Shahid Jameel embodies the Alig spirit of leadership, integrity, and service to humanity through knowledge.
