Represents a prestigious milestone in academic research career
Girish Neelakanta, PhD., Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences at the UT College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) has accepted an invitation to serve as a standing member of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Scientific Review study section.
Dr. Neelakanta will serve on the Transmission of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases Study Section (TVZ), part of the Applied Immunology and Disease Control Integrated Review Group (AIDC) within the NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR). His term begins immediately and will continue through June 30, 2030.
Appointment to an NIH study section is a significant professional honor. Standing members are appointed and selected for their demonstrated expertise and scientific achievement, including the quality and impact of their research, peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities. Dr. Neelakanta will join the study section to evaluate grant applications and help guide the NIH peer-review process that supports biomedical research nationwide.
The Neelakanta Laboratory at UTCVM studies tick-borne infectious diseases, including human anaplasmosis, Lyme disease, relapsing fever, and Rickettsiosis. Using multidisciplinary approaches, including microbiology, genetics, genomics, molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, vector biology, and bioinformatics, the laboratory characterizes tripartite interactions involving vector-host-pathogens at the molecular level. Dr. Neelakanta’s team has identified tick and bacterial molecules with potential applications in developing vaccines against tick-borne diseases. His current research is funded by an NIH R01 grant award.
