Aneesh Thakur, DVM, PhD, is an immunologist, Principal Scientist, and Group Leader at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan. He also holds Adjunct Professor appointments with the university’s Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology and the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition.
At the Laboratory of Vaccine Engineering and Immunology (LVEI), which he established at VIDO in 2022, Dr. Thakur leads interdisciplinary research to develop advanced nanoparticle-based formulations. His work aims to enhance the efficacy of subunit and nucleic acid vaccines, while also investigating novel methods for regulating pulmonary T cell immunity using adjuvants. By merging immunology, drug delivery, and nanotechnology, his lab designs innovative vaccines and adjuvants to combat infectious diseases in both humans and animals.
Dr. Thakur earned his DVM and a Master’s degree in Microbiology and Immunology before working as a research scientist at the Tuberculosis Aerosol Challenge Facility within the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in India. He completed his PhD and initial postdoctoral training in Immunology at the Technical University of Denmark. He then served as an Assistant Professor of Veterinary Microbiology at CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University. Prior to joining VIDO, he completed a second postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Copenhagen, where he was later appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy.
Research Interests:
- Pulmonary immunity by vaccination
- Messenger RNA delivery systems and vaccines
- Mucosal vaccines and adjuvants
- Thermostable vaccines
Current Projects:
- Vaccine development for New World Hantaviruses
- Adjuvanted mucosal subunit vaccines for Tuberculosis
- Inducing mucosal immunity by messenger RNA vaccines
- Self-amplifying RNA vaccines for respiratory pathogens