Iraqi migrant Dr Harry Al-Wassiti is part of a team of scientists at Monash University who are testing three vaccine candidates for coronavirus.
Doctor Harry Al-Wassiti migrated to Australia in search of a “new opportunity and a brighter future”.
More than 14 years after leaving war-torn Iraq, he’s now at the forefront of Australian efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine.
He’s part of the three-person research team at Monash University that is developing a vaccine using an emerging technology called messenger RNA or mRNA.
The post-doctoral fellow told SBS Arabic24 that he was “thrilled” after the team – which includes Dr Estelle Suys and led by Professor Colin Pouton – developed three vaccine candidates in four weeks.
It’s hoped their breakthrough could lead to unlocking the immune system’s ability to fight off the virus.
