2607:FB60:1011:2006:3014:66B1:2066:5015 at 18:33, 25 August 2023

2023-08-25T18:33:10Z

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{{short description|Indian medical researcher}}
{{Infobox scientist
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|11|03}}
| birth_place = Simla
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| nationality = Indian
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| fields = [[Infectious disease]] [[Vaccine]]s [[Gut flora|Enteric infections]] [[Water]] [[Sanitation]]<ref name=gs/>
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| alma_mater =  [[Christian Medical College, Vellore]] (MBBS, MD, PhD)
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| workplaces = [[Christian Medical College, Vellore]] [[Baylor College of Medicine]] [[Translational Health Science and Technology Institute]]
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| awards = [[Infosys Prize]] (2016)
| website = {{URL|http://cmcwtrl.in}}
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'''Gagandeep Kang''' [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]]<ref name=frs/> (born 3 November 1962) is an Indian microbiologist and [[virologist]] who is the Professor in the Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences at the Christian Medical College, [[Vellore]], India<ref name=gs>{{Google scholar id}}</ref> and from August 2016 to July 2020 was executive director of the [[Translational Health Science and Technology Institute]], Faridabad, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/laureates/2016/gagandeep-kang.asp|title=Infosys Prize - Laureates 2016 - Prof. Gagandeep Kang|website=Infosys-science-foundation.com|language=en|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Professor Gagandeep Kang : Hic Vac |url=https://www.hic-vac.org/members/members-profiles/professor-gagandeep-kang |website=www.hic-vac.org |access-date=25 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Raghavan |first1=Prabha |title=Gagandeep Kang, vaccine scientist, quits top research institute |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gagandeep-kang-vaccine-scientist-quits-top-research-institute-6493337/ |website=The Indian Express |access-date=25 November 2020 |language=en |date=7 July 2020}}</ref> Her major research focus is on viral infections in children, and the testing of [[Rotavirus vaccine|rotaviral vaccines]]. She also works on other enteric infections and their consequences when children are infected in early life, sanitation and water safety. She was awarded the prestigious [[Infosys Prize]] in Life Sciences in 2016 for her contributions to understanding the natural history of rotavirus and other infectious diseases.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://indiabioscience.org/columns/conversations/10-women-10-questions-gagandeep-kang|title=10 women, 10 questions: Gagandeep Kang|first=Harini|last=Barath|date=7 March 2017|website=IndiaBioscience.org|access-date=23 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.tropicalparasitology.org/article.asp?issn=2229-5070;year=2017;volume=7;issue=2;spage=128;epage=130;aulast=;type=0|title=An E-mail Interview with Prof. Gagandeep Kang|date=1 July 2017|journal=Tropical Parasitology|volume=7|issue=2|pages=128–130|access-date=23 April 2019|doi=10.4103/tp.TP_30_17|doi-broken-date=1 August 2023|pmid=29114495|pmc=5652053}}</ref> In 2019, she became the first Indian woman to be elected as a Fellow of the [[Royal Society]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/gagandeep-kang-becomes-first-indian-woman-to-be-elected-royal-society-fellow/article26887069.ece|title=Gagandeep Kang becomes first Indian woman to be elected Royal Society Fellow|date=2019-04-19|work=The Hindu|access-date=2019-10-02|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> She was on the Life Sciences jury for the [[Infosys Prize]] in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Infosys Prize - Jury 2020|url=http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/jury/jury-2020.asp|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.infosys-science-foundation.com}}</ref>

Kang is co-author of book ''[[Till We Win: India's Fight Against The COVID-19 Pandemic]]'', with [[Chandrakant Lahariya]], a leading Indian [[medical doctor]] and [[Public policy]] and [[health system]] expert and [[Randeep Guleria]], the director of [[AIIMS]], [[New Delhi]]. The book has been published by India's leading publisher [[Penguin Random House]] India and has become an instant bestseller.

==Early life and education==
Gagandeep Kang was born in [[Shimla]] on 3 November 1962.<ref name="ramesh">{{cite web |last1=Ramesh |first1=Sandhya |title=Meet Gagandeep Kang, Shimla scientist who's helping save lives of thousands of Indian kids |url=https://theprint.in/science/how-a-shimla-woman-is-helping-save-lives-of-thousands-of-kids-in-india-every-year/225439/ |website=ThePrint |access-date=25 November 2020 |date=24 April 2019}}</ref> Her mother taught English and history and her father was a [[mechanical engineering|mechanical engineer]] in the [[Indian Railways]].<ref name="ramesh"/> Kang grew up moving around north and east India, changing schools 10 times. She practiced science frequently at home during her childhood, building a lab with her father at home when she was 12 and experimenting in biology, physics and chemistry.<ref name="Mohan">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/meet/stick-it-out-and-make-good-friends-says-gagandeep-kang/article26952625.ece|title='Stick it out and make good friends'|last=Mohan|first=Shriya|website=@businessline|language=en|access-date=2019-10-02}}</ref>

Kang completed her [[Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery]] (MBBS) in 1987 and her [[Doctor of Medicine]] (MD) in Microbiology in 1991 from [[Christian Medical College, Vellore]] and obtained her [[PhD]] in 1998.<ref name="auto" /> She obtained her membership of the [[Royal College of Pathologists]]{{when|date=April 2019}} and carried out [[postdoctoral research]] with [[Mary K. Estes]] at the [[Baylor College of Medicine|Baylor College of Medicine, Houston]] before returning to the Christian Medical College.

== Career and research ==
Kang is a medical scientist who has worked on diarrhoea diseases and public health in India since the early 1990s. She is a key contributor to rotavirus epidemiology and vaccinology in [[India]]. Focusing on vaccines, enteric infections and nutrition in young children in disadvantaged communities, she has combined field epidemiology with intensive laboratory investigations to inform both the science of infectious diseases and policy in India. Her comprehensive research on rotavirus has demonstrated the high burden of rotavirus disease across India, the genetic diversity of viruses, the lower protection from infection and vaccines and the exploration of several approaches to improve the performance of oral vaccines. Her work has led to her being described as India's "vaccine godmother".<ref name="Mohan"/>

She has published over 300 scientific papers and is or was on editorial boards for several journals, including PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine and International Health. She is on many review committees for national and international research funding agencies, and has served on several advisory committees mainly related to vaccines, including India's [[National Immunization Technical Advisory Group|National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation]], the WHO's [[Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety]] and the Immunisation and Vaccine Implementation Research Advisory Committee. She chairs the WHO SEAR's Regional Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (2015–present). She has received honorary appointments as an associate faculty member at the [[Johns Hopkins University]] Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland and adjunct professor at [[Tufts University School of Medicine]] in Boston, Massachusetts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rotacouncil.org/about/council-members/gagandeep-kang/|title=Gagandeep Kang|website=Rota Council|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-02}}</ref>

Kang played a significant role in the efforts that culminated in the development of [[Rotavirus vaccine|Rotavac]], a vaccine from [[Bharat Biotech]] that targets [[diarrhea]]. She was one of three [[principal investigator]]s in the Phase III [[clinical trial]]s of the vaccine.<ref name=bbi>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bharatbiotech.com/images/press/Bharat_Biotech_2013_press_english.pdf|title=Rotavirus Vaccine Developed in India Demonstrates Strong Efficacy|date=2013-05-14|website=BharatBiotech.com|access-date=2019-04-28}}</ref> Her initial interest was in identifying the [[Correlates of immunity/correlates of protection|correlates of protection]] against the rotavirus. She and others began by recreating a study conducted in Mexico to identify children protected from rotaviral infection, research the [[immune response]]s and isolate the correlate of protection. The recreated study itself did not succeed, but it did develop high quality laboratory methods for the detection of rotaviruses. Kang and one of her students subsequently established [[Vaccine efficacy|vaccine assays]] for rotavirus infections, used in testing Rotavac.<ref name=interview>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/my-best-collaborators-are-women-says-gagandeep-kang-the-first-indian-woman-fellow-of-the-royal-society/article26952386.ece|title=My best collaborators are women, says Gagandeep Kang|date=2019-04-26|website=TheHindu.com|access-date=2019-04-28}}</ref>

Since 2020, Kang has been an ex-officio member of a working group on [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s established by the [[Strategic Advisory Group of Experts]] at the WHO.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200710184143/https://www.who.int/immunization/sage/sage_wg_covid-19/en/ SAGE Working Group on Covid-19 vaccines] [[World Health Organization]] (WHO).</ref>

==Other activities==
* Global Health Centre, [[Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies]], Member of the International Advisory Board (since 2020)<ref>[https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/GHC-IAB Global Health Centre International Advisory Board] [[Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies]], press release of April 20, 2020.</ref>
* [[Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations]] (CEPI), Member of the Board (–2023)<ref>[https://cepi.net/news_cepi/cepi-board-membership-updates-2/ CEPI Board membership updates] [[Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations]] (CEPI), press release of 5 April 2023.</ref>
* [[Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]], Member of the Global Health Scientific Advisory Committee<ref>[https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/leadership/scientific-advisory-committee Global Health Scientific Advisory Committee] [[Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]].</ref>

==Recognition==
Kang is the second Indian woman scientist to be elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society]] (FRS) in 359 years of history of this scientific academy.<ref name=indytimes/> She was the ninth woman to be awarded the Infosys Prize. She is the first Indian and the first woman to edit Manson's Textbook of Tropical Medicine.<ref name="auto"/> Other awards and honours include:

* 1998-1999 – Dr. P.N. Berry Fellowship<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://thsti.res.in/profile/Gagandeep-Kang|title=Translational Health Science and Technology Institute|website=thsti.res.in|access-date=2019-07-02}}</ref>
* 2005 – The Lourdu Yedanapalli Award for Excellence in Research<ref name=":0" />
* 2006 – Woman Bioscientist of the Yearś<ref name=":0" />
* 2016 – [[Infosys Prize]] in Life Sciences<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.livemint.com/Companies/SvjjeJV9APCdhQzx3HvD3M/Winners-of-Infosys-Prize-2016-announced.html|title=Winners of Infosys Prize 2016 announced|date=2016-11-18|website=Livemint.com/|access-date=2017-04-03}}</ref>
* 2019 – Elected a [[Fellow of the Royal Society]] (FRS)<ref name="frs">{{cite web|url=https://royalsociety.org/people/gagandeep-kang-14102/|title=Gagandeep Kang - Royal Society|website=Royalsociety.org|access-date=23 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="indytimes">{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/gagandeep-kang-enters-royal-society-of-london-as-first-indian-woman-scientist-fellow/articleshow/68944435.cms|title=Gagandeep Kang enters Royal Society of London as first Indian woman scientist fellow - Times of India|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=23 April 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{FRS 2019}}
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[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian women biologists]]
[[Category:Indian immunologists]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Female Fellows of the Royal Society]]

Gagandeep Kang - Revision history

2607:FB60:1011:2006:3014:66B1:2066:5015 at 18:33, 25 August 2023