Associate Professor Dr. Sharifah Syed Hassan started her career in the Veterinary Research Institute, Ipoh, Malaysia in 1984, after graduating as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from UPM, Malaysia.  She headed the Veterinary Vaccine Unit and Veterinary Diagnostic Unit of the Institute and promoted to the post of Director of the Veterinary Research Institute, Ipoh, Malaysia and Director of Research for the Department of Veterinary Services (2003-2007), Ministry of Agriculture, Malaysia. She received her PhD from University of Oxford (2000), in the area of Life Sciences (molecular virology).

She joined Monash University Malaysia (MUM) in 2008.  Dr. Sharifah is a molecular virologist at the Infectious Disease Laboratory of the JCSMHS, Monash University Malaysia (MUM). Her earlier works in MUM were focussed on host-pathogens interactions involving Influenza viruses.  With her expertise in recombinant DNA technology, she has also developed a recombinant Lactococcus-surface displayed multiple-influenza antigens vaccine against influenza. Her Group has  also produced various recombinant proteins of Influenza and various Flaviviruses for use in  downstream research.Her current interests are on host-pathogens interactions, especially involving Flavivirus infections such as Dengue, Chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis viral infections. Her group has developed and established Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus midgut cDNA library for use in host-viral interaction studies. Her group also established in-vitro and in-vivo assays for studies involving antiviral effects of various compounds of natural products against Dengue viruses. Currently, her group at MUM has also completed two longitudinal community-based studies on dengue viral infections in collaborations with the Ministry of Health offices of Shah Alam and Segamat. Her Team had also collaborated with the MUM  Clinical School of Johor Bharu on projects involving dengue, dengue-like illnesses and respiratory tract infections funded by US NAMRU2 (2017-2020).

She headed the Infection and Immunity Cluster of the Tropical Medicine and Biology Platform of MUM (2013-2021).Dr. Sharifah teaches in the disciplines of Immunology and  Microbiology for pre-clinical Year 1 and 2 MBBS (MD) students. She was the discipline coordinator for the teaching of Microbiology (2012-2015) and to date is the discipline coordinator for the teaching of Immunology in MUM.