Krittika Nandy has won the student oral presentation competition at the Tennessee Mosquito and Vector Control Association (TVMCA) annual meeting. She presented “Anti-vector vaccine candidate subolesin is important for blood feeding and innate immune gene expression in soft ticks.” Subolesin is a conserved molecule in several ticks. This molecule is considered as a candidate for the development of an anti-tick vaccine. The role of subolesin in soft ticks is less explored.

Nandy is a Comparative and Experimental Medicine PhD graduate student graduate student in Dr. Girish Neelakanta’s laboratory in the Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences at UTCVM.

With a focus on education, research, and community outreach, TVMCA joins various individuals working tirelessly to combat arboviral and bacterial vector-borne diseases and protect local communities. The competition was held February 23, 2024 in Nashville, TN.

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