Research Focus
Akil Akhtar, Ph.D. has completed his doctoral studies at CSIR-IMTech, India, where his research focused on exploring carbohydrate-binding proteins of the human gut microbiome. This work provided him with a strong foundation in molecular biology and glycobiology, as well as a deeper understanding of host-microbe interactions. To further understand how the host responds to pathogens and how protective strategies can be developed, he subsequently moved to Texas Biomed and then to the Emory Vaccine Center. There, he worked on projects investigating immune responses to various vaccine platforms, immunization strategies, and immunotherapies.
Driven by a long-standing interest in tuberculosis (TB), historically as well as currently the most important infectious disease of humanity, Dr. Akhtar joined the Kaushal lab in 2026. Here, he will work on the translational development of attenuated vaccines against TB and understand immunological mechanisms of their action.
Pathogens differ significantly and no single vaccine platform or strategy is universally effective. With a thorough grounding in immunology and molecular biology, his long-term goal is to advance the understanding and development of vaccines and vaccination strategies that could lead to safe, effective, and durable immune responses.