Shazia Tabassum Hakim, Ph.D., SCCM(MLS), is a professor of Biomedical Sciences & Microbiology at Diné College, Ariz. (first tribally-owned college of North America in Navajo Nation). She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Karachi, Pakistan, trained in Dr. Raj Karim’s lab at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and Dr. Rob Striker’s lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a Registered Specialist Microbiologist with the Canadian College of Microbiologists. Hakim researched HCV antivirals using bovine viral diarrhea virus as surrogate model, along with genotyping and gene sequencing of HBV and HCV viruses, primate microRNAs in lentiviruses, retro elements and human endogenous retroviruses.

Before joining Diné College in 2018, she was Program Director of Allied Health Sciences, Canadian Academy of Health Professionals, Health Science Instructor at Oxford College, Ontario, Canada and Microbiology Professor, Chairperson and Dean of Sciences & Research at Jinnah University for Women, Karachi, Pakistan. Her research interest centers on infectious diseases: their sero-prevalence, transmission, prevention, drug design and evaluation of vaccines.

Hakim has been associated with ASM since 1995, first as a student, then an outreach member and now a contributing member. She joined ASM's Arizona/Nevada chapter in 2018. Her experience & qualifications blend working in both advanced and resource-limited settings.