Volker Gerdts

Volker Gerdts is a Professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology at the University of Saskatchewan and serves as Director and CEO of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO). He holds a DVM from Hanover Veterinary School (1994) and a German PhD equivalent from the Federal Research Institute for Animal Health (1997). His postdoctoral research (1998–2000) at VIDO focused on mucosal immunology and vaccine discovery. He leads VIDO's Neonatal Immunization Program and manages a Gates Foundation-funded international project.

Research interests include neonatal vaccine development, mucosal immunity, intestinal immune mechanisms, and vaccine delivery systems. Key projects involve Zika virus fetal transmission models, swine disease models, and mucosal vaccine strategies for livestock and human pathogens. Gerdts’ work bridges basic immunology with translational research, emphasizing knowledge transfer to clinical and agricultural applications.

His recent publications (2020–2025) address SARS-CoV-2 vaccine platforms, Rift Valley fever epidemiology, and mycobacterial vaccine design. He collaborates globally on infectious disease solutions, particularly in low-resource settings. VIDO’s infrastructure under his leadership supports advanced vaccine R&D, including trials for bovine pleuropneumonia and Chlamydia vaccines.