Samira Mubareka
MD, FRCPC
Samira completed her MD at Dalhousie University in 1999 and Internal Medicine training in 2002 at McGill University in Canada.
She specialized in Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology at the University of Manitoba (2005).
She went on to a research fellowship at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City, in the laboratory of Dr Peter Palese, Department of Microbiology (2009). Samira focused on the development of a novel animal model for the transmission of influenza virus, developing an interest around the aerobiology of virus transmission, which remains a focus of her work.
Samira is currently a Clinician-Scientist, Medical Microbiologist and Infectious Disease consultant at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
She is also Assistant Professor in Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto, and the Infectious Diseases Lead at the Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Diseases.
Research Synopsis
The Mubareka lab has been working to recover respiratory viruses emitted into the air by naturally-infected patients with laboratory-confirmed infection in acute and long-term care settings.
Additional work in the clinical setting includes the characterization of bioaerosol production during purported aerosol-generating procedures, including bronchoscopy and non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation.
In addition to research in the clinical setting, we have been developing experimental tools and methods in aerovirology.
We have designed a novel low-volume air sampler to determine the viability of virions recovered from the air, thus providing insight into the risk of transmission.
Members of the laboratory are also examining the effects of environmental determinants on virus survival in air.
The majority of this work is focused on influenza virus, and we also have an interest in coronavirus and rhinovirus.
Most recently, we have also developed a project focused on the use of novel antivirals for influenza, and we are also exploring viral transmission at the human-animal interface; field investigations for the latter are ongoing.
Dr Mubareka's lab
Our laboratory is located in the S wing at Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave.
Currently, there is:
- a post-doctoral fellow
- two graduate students
- two technicians
- a research assistant
We also host visiting graduate students and anticipate 1-2 summer students annually.
Our lab has been involved in COVID-19 studies, see the news story: U of T and McMaster researchers at Sunnybrook Hospital isolate virus behind COVID-19. Read more on the LMP COVID-19 hub.