Principal Investigator

ABOUT

Dr. Rahul Shukla earned his Ph.D. in Vaccinology from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India, in 2016 under the supervision of Padma Shri (Dr.) Navin Khanna. During his doctoral research, he pioneered the concept of designing Chimeric Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) as a potential vaccine candidate for combating the dengue menace. This groundbreaking technology was subsequently transferred to Sun Pharmaceutical Industries for clinical evaluation, where it currently stands in clinical phase-I trials.

Dr. Shukla's contributions extend beyond vaccine development. He established the first dengue infection model and assessed the in vivo Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE) potential of the approved dengue vaccine, 'Dengvaxia,' shedding light on its limitations. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in ICGEB's collaboration with Sun Pharma in the development of a botanical dengue drug, now advancing through clinical phase-II.

Notably, Dr. Shukla's innovative mindset led to the design of highly sensitive rapid dengue diagnostic kits, 'Dengue Day 1 Test,' and the COVID-19 (IgM + IgG + IgA) Microlisa kit, both successfully commercialized by J. Mitra & Co. Pvt. Ltd. His translational research efforts have been recognized with prestigious international and national awards, including the NASI-Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award-2022.

Since June 2021, Dr. Shukla has served as the Principal Investigator in the Division of Virus Research and Therapeutics at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India. His current research primarily focuses on developing specific antivirals against nationally important viruses, including Dengue and Japanese Encephalitis virus. Furthermore, his lab is actively engaged in understanding the interplay between pre-circulating SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in flavivirus pathogenesis, with implications for vaccine deployment and clinical management in countries like India, where flaviviral infections are endemic.

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Recognition and Award ​

• NASI-Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award, 2022

• Visiting Scientist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, USA, from 2019 to 2021.

• Fellowship awarded for Diploma in Vaccinology, Institute Pasteur, Paris, 2019

• Fellowship awarded for Quantitative Immunology course, HKU-Pasteur research pole, University of Hong Kong, 2018

• Global Health Award, Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, Keystone Symposia, Banff, Canada, 2017

• Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (SPM) Fellowship award, Life Science, CSIR-HRDG, 2012-2016

• Award of excellent performance in JOINT CSIR-UGC-NET- 2011 for attaining All India rank-0001

• DST-FIST meritorious scholarship, University of Lucknow, 2010

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