Hunein Maassab

Hunein Maassab
Born Damascus, Syria
Citizenship Syrian, American
Fields Epidemiology
Alma mater University of Michigan
Known for Inventing the Live attenuated influenza vaccine

Hunein (John) Maassab (Arabic: حنين معصّب‎‎) (born Hunein Maassab in Syria) is a Syrian-American professor of Epidemiology known for developing the Live attenuated influenza vaccine

Maassab was born June 11, 1926, in Damascus, Syria,[1] he immigrated to the United States in the late 1940s and started using the name John.[2] Maassab received his Bachelor of Arts in 1950 and Master of Arts 1952 University of Missouri. This was followed by Master of Public Health in 1954 and a Ph.D. in 1956 from the University of Michigan.[1]

In 1956, Maassab worked as an assistant researcher in the University of Michigan Department of Epidemiology, becoming a research associate in 1957, an assistant professor in 1960, an associate professor in 1965, and a full professor in 1973.[1] He served as epidemiology chairman between 1991-1997 and founded and was the first director of the school’s Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology Program.[1] In February 2003 he was named professor emeritus of epidemiology.[1][3]

Maassab first isolated the Influenza Type-A-Ann Arbor virus in 1960 and by 1967 had developed a cold-adapted virus. His research lasted 40 years and resulted in FluMist, a cold-adapted, live attenuated, trivalent influenza virus vaccine.[1] In June 2003, the Food and Drug Administration declared FluMist (the brand of the vaccine) safe for healthy people between the age of 5 to 49 who are not pregnant, then it was approved for children as young as 2.[2][3]

Massab died on February 1, 2014 at his home in North Carolina.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Obituary: Hunein F. 'John' Maassab, developer of FluMist". University of Michigan.
  2. 1 2 "Hunein Maassab, Who Developed FluMist Vaccine, Dies at 87". nytimes.
  3. 1 2 "Former U-M professor Hunein Maassab, developer of FluMist, dies at 87". Mlive.com Booth Newspapers.
  4. ↑ "In Memoriam Dr. Hunein Maassab". The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Vaccine Education Center.
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