Hezhao Ji

Dr. Hezhao Ji is an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba. He also serves as a Senior Research Scientist and Head of Pathogen Genetics and Genomics Unit at the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory. With nearly 30 years of expertise in clinical medicine, medical immunology, and microbiology, he specializes in viral genetics, molecular epidemiology, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) applications for HIV and HCV drug resistance testing.

• Education: PhD in Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (University of Manitoba, 2007), MSc in Medical Immunology (Hebei Medical University, 1996), MD equivalent (Hebei North University, 1993)

His research focuses on advancing NGS-based HIV drug resistance diagnostics, including the development of the HyDRA pipeline and web portal. He collaborates globally with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), leading technology transfer initiatives and training workshops for laboratories in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. His work also includes managing Canada's federal HCV reference lab, supporting national molecular epidemiology programs.

Scientific Awards:

• 2024 Science Co-op Supervisor Recognition Award
• 2019 Scientific Excellence Award from Public Health Agency of Canada

Dr. Ji contributes to international research funding panels, scientific journal editorial work, and capacity-building efforts in pathogen genomics. His dual roles bridge academic and public health research, emphasizing global viral disease prevention.