[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 217 (Thursday, December 16, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9255-S9256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING DR. SHERIF R. ZAKI

  Mr. WARNOCK. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. 
Sherif R. Zaki, an exceptional leader at the CDC who passed away on 
November 21, 2021.
  Dr. Zaki, who joined the CDC in 1988, was the founder and branch 
chief of CDC's Infectious Disease Pathology Branch, IDPB. During his 
tenure at CDC, Dr. Zaki's vision and determination took the pathology 
laboratory to the forefront of the Agency's work in responding to 
public health threats posed by various infectious disease agents and 
established this team to be as one of the most highly respected 
infectious disease pathology laboratories in the world.
  Dr. Zaki was an internationally recognized expert in infectious 
disease pathology, whose work over the past several decades transformed 
CDC's approach to the integration of pathology

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as a core component of outbreak investigations. The rigorous and 
innovative laboratory work carried out by his team has advanced 
infectious disease experts' knowledge of many pathogens and their role 
in the human disease process. These included investigations of 
hantavirus, leptospirosis, West Nile virus, anthrax, SARS 
coronaviruses, avian and human influenza viruses, Ebola virus, Zika 
virus, and numerous transplant-associated infections, to name only a 
few. As an author of hundreds of publications and numerous textbook 
chapters, he is widely considered to be among the most influential 
infectious disease pathologists of his generation.
  As chief of IDPB, Dr. Zaki is widely recognized for his personal 
leadership, scientific contributions, and commitment to CDC's public 
health mission. Among his many awards are the HHS Secretary's Awards 
for Distinguished Service, which he received nine times and is the 
highest honor at HHS. Known and respected for his humbleness, Dr. Zaki 
was uncomfortable with personal accolades and always quick to point to 
the efforts of his IDPB colleagues and others. Dr. Zaki was a generous 
teacher and mentor of younger scientists, friends, and former 
colleagues.
  My prayers are with Dr. Zaki's wife Nadia, his two children, and 
friends during this difficult time. I am grateful for his dedication at 
the CDC, and I am honored to recognize his extraordinary contributions 
today.

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