Maassab, Hunein F. John

Hunein F. "John" Maassab was born in Damascus, Syria in 1928. He emigrated to the United States in 1947, became a permanent resident in 1955, and gained United States citizenship in 1960. He and his wife, Hilda Zahka, had twin sons, Sammy and Fred, born in 1959.

Maassab graduated from Greek Orthodox High School in Damascus in 1945. After moving to the United States, Maassab earned a B.A. in Biology and an M.A. in Physiology and Pharmacology from the University of Missouri. Maassab then moved to the University of Michigan, where he earned his M.Ph. in 1954 and his Ph.D. in Epidemiological Sciences in 1956. Dr. Maassab remained in the Department of Epidemiology in the University of Michigan School of Public Health, where he became a professor in 1960.

Inspired by the work of Dr. Thomas Francis and other pioneers in the Department of Epidemiology, Maassab has dedicated his career to developing cold-adapted live virus vaccines for influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and other viruses. This work culminated in the licensing of Maassab's patented "Master Strain" for creating live virus vaccines against Influenza A and B to Aviron, a pharmaceutical company that intended to market the vaccine as "Flu Mist," a nasal-spray alternative to traditional vaccine injections.

From the guide to the Hunein F. Maassab papers, 1951-2002, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)