PhD Mustafa Al-Sarraf

Dr. Mustafa Al-Sarraf received a bachelor's degree in veterinary medicine and surgery from the University of Baghdad with specialization in small animal Laparoscopy in 2017, finished his medical residency at Adan veterinary hospital in Baghdad/Iraq in 2018 by specializing in K9 (military and service dogs) radiology and ultrasonography, he obtained his Master’s degree from the University of Warsaw, Faculty of biology, Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases in 2022, title of project: “Genetic diversity of Dirofilaria repens and Dirofilaria immitis in dogs from Central Poland and Europe”, in March 2024; he obtained his PhD from the University of Warsaw, Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, title of thesis: “Distribution, genetic identity and zoonotic reservoir of Dirofilaria spp., the causative agents of human and canine dirofilariasis”.

During the times of his studies, he was the Principal Investigator for the IDUB grant no.: BOB-IDUB-622-52_2022, The 1st competition for co-financing scientific research by doctoral candidates at the University of Warsaw under Action IV.4.1 «A complex programme of support for UW PhD students with the work focusing on the genetic diversity of the nematode Dirofilaria. At the same time, he was a research assistant at multiple ongoing projects including Assistant researcher in the PolVole project, Urwitałt, Poland, UW, Faculty of Biology (2018-2023). Performer for OPUS grant no. 2017/27/B/NZ6/01691 on the genetic diversity and epidemiology of Dirofilaria spp., UW, Faculty of Biology (2019-2023). Performer for OPUS grant no. 2022/45/B/NZ7/01017 on the distribution of different species of ticks in Mongolia and Iraq, UW, Faculty of Biology (2023) and Assistant researcher in the Mosquito Monitoring Vienna project in Vienna, Austria funded by Magistratsabteilung 15 der Stadt Wien, Gesundheitsdienst (MA 15), Vienna, Austria, Veterinary University of Vienna (2023).

Currently he is the main performer for the IDUB grant: “Searching and testing of anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents: combined immunotherapy” and is a research assistant in the project: “Mast cell function in innate control immune defence against Candida, in this project”.

• Bajer, A., Alsarraf, M., Dwużnik, D., Mierzejewska, E. J., Kołodziej-Sobocińska, M., Behnke-Borowczyk, J., Banasiak Ł., Grzybek M., Tołkacz K., Kartawik N., Stańczak Ł., Opalińska P., Krokowska-Paluszak M., Górecki G., Alsarraf, M., & Behnke, J. M. (2020). Rodents as intermediate hosts of cestode parasites of mammalian carnivores and birds of prey in Poland, with the first data on the life cycle of Mesocestoides melesi. Parasites & vectors, 13, 1-10.
• Alsarraf, M., Levytska, V., Mierzejewska, E. J., Poliukhovych, V., Rodo, A., Alsarraf, M., ... & Bajer, A. (2021). Emerging risk of Dirofilaria spp. infection in Northeastern Europe: high prevalence of Dirofilaria repens in sled dog kennels from the Baltic countries. Scientific reports, 11(1), 1068.
• Dwużnik-Szarek, D., Mierzejewska, E. J., Alsarraf, M., Alsarraf, M., & Bajer, A. (2021). Pathogens detected in the tick Haemaphysalis concinna in Western Poland: known and unknown threats. Experimental and Applied Acarology, 84(4), 769-783.
• Bajer, A., Kowalec, M., Levytska, V. A., Mierzejewska, E. J., Alsarraf, M., Poliukhovych, V., ... & Dwużnik-Szarek, D. (2022). Tick-borne pathogens, Babesia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi sl, in sled and companion dogs from central and north-eastern Europe. Pathogens, 11(5), 499.
• Alsarraf, M., Baneth, G., Bogucka-Kocka, A., Ciuca, L., Dwużnik-Szarek, D., Fuehrer, H. P., ... & Bajer, A. (2023). Haplotypes of Dirofilaria repens from Poland and selected countries of Central, North-Eastern Europe and the Middle East: An evaluation on the relation between the genetic diversity and the geographic distribution of the fast-spreading parasite. Veterinary Parasitology, 315.
• Alsarraf, M., Dwużnik-Szarek, D., Hildebrand, J., Mierzejewska, E. J., Kloch, A., Kot, K., ... & Bajer, A. (2023). Occurrence of Dirofilaria repens in wild carnivores in Poland. Parasitology Research, 122(5), 1229-1237.
• Tołkacz, K., Kretschmer, M., Nowak, S., Mysłajek, R. W., Alsarraf, M., Wężyk, D., & Bajer, A. (2023). The first report on Hepatozoon canis in dogs and wolves in Poland: clinical and epidemiological features. Parasites & Vectors, 16(1), 313.
• Alsarraf, M., Carretón, E., Ciuca, L. et al. (2023). Diversity and geographic distribution of haplotypes of Dirofilaria immitis across European endemic countries. Parasites & Vectors 16(1): 1-12.