Anil Shanker

Anil Shanker is a Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation and a tenured Professor of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience, and Pharmacology at Meharry Medical College. He holds affiliations with Vanderbilt University’s cancer and immunology centers, including the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology. His research focuses on cancer immunology, immunotherapy, neuro-immune interactions, and health disparities, with an emphasis on CD8+ T cell and NK cell crosstalk, engineered Notch ligands, and bortezomib-based therapies.

Shanker earned his Ph.D. in Tumor Immunology from Banaras Hindu University and completed postdoctoral training in France and at the National Cancer Institute. He has held roles ranging from Assistant to Full Professor at Meharry, alongside visiting faculty positions at Howard University and Aix-Marseille University.

His research investigates mitochondrial dynamics in lymphocyte functionality, the role of neurotransmitters in neuro-immune networks, and computational models of immune cell interactions. He leads projects funded by NIH grants, including studies on Notch signaling in cancer disparities and bortezomib’s effects on tumor microenvironments.

Awarded over 30 honors, Shanker is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and chairs multiple NIH review committees. His lab has trained diverse scholars, many of whom have received prestigious awards. He advocates for health equity and has developed courses in cancer immunotherapy.