Dr Muhammad G Morshed is a clinical microbiologist and program head of Zoonotic Diseases and Emerging Pathogens at the BC Public Health Microbiology and Reference Laboratory, Provincial Health Services Authority Laboratories. He is also a clinical professor in the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC.
Dr Morshed received his PhD from the Yamguchi University School of Medicine, Japan in 1994. He completed his specialty training at the Research Institute of Tuberculosis in Tokyo, Japan and from the College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley. His laboratory is responsible for specialized serology testing, molecular testing and microbial fingerprinting, program evaluation and research. His research focuses on surveillance of zoonotic and emerging pathogens. Organisms of interest are Borrelia burgdorferi, Treponema pallidum, Cryptococcus gattii, Toxoplasma gondii, Helicobacter pylori, and West Nile virus.
His laboratory is also involved with field studies on zoonotic and vector-borne disease (mice, ticks, and mosquitoes) across British Columbia. Dr. Morshed is also recognized by the national and international research community for his expertise on Lyme disease and syphilis. He is also member of many provincial, national, and international working groups and networks in the area of zoonotic and emerging pathogens.
Dr Morshed holds memberships in the American Society for Microbiology, Canadian Association for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association and is a registered member of the Canadian College of Microbiologists (CCM). He is also serving on the CCM Executive Board as Treasurer since 2012.
Author profile
Muhammad Morshed, PhD, SCCM
Helicobacter pylori is a micro-aerophilic, slow-growing, gram-negative spiral bacterium that colonizes the mucous lining of the human stomach. Infection with this bacterium has been identified as a cause of gastritis,... Read More
Syphilis is an age-old sexually transmitted infection (STI) that typically passes through three clinical stages and may be latent (without overt signs or symptoms). Primary syphilis is highly contagious, occurs between... Read More
Syphilis, caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum sub spp pallidum, is an infection recognized since antiquity. It was first reported in Italy at the end of 15th century.[1] Infections may be sexually... Read More
We thank Ms Souch for her ongoing dialogue with the BC Centre for Disease Control about Lyme disease in British Columbia. Our article published in the June 2011 BCMJ provides an overview of the many... Read More
Lyme disease is a tick-borne zoonosis caused in North America by infection with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Humans acquire Lyme disease through the bite of an infected tick.[1] The principal tick vector... Read More
Background Concerns about zoonoses Several species of ticks—arthropod ectoparasites such as Ixodes pacificus—transmit pathogens that cause the most frequently contracted zoonoses in North America.[1] Human cases... Read More
Lyme disease (LD) is a tick-borne zoonosis caused in North America by infection with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Humans acquire LD through the bite of an infected tick. The principal... Read More
Tularemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella tularenis, which is endemic in British Columbia and other parts of Canada.[1,2] There are various clinical presentations, and diagnosis may be difficult. ... Read More
Malaria is a protozoan parasitic disease caused by infection of the red blood cells with one (rarely two) species of the genus Plasmodium: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale or P. malariae. Malaria was... Read More
As summer arrives many of our patients will be spending time outdoors with their family, friends, and pets. This is an important opportunity to review measures they can take to reduce the risk of illnesses spread by... Read More