معرفی
Dr. Jose Thekkiniath is a Professor at Purdue University Fort Wayne, leading a research lab focused on Immunology, Molecular Pathogenesis of Parasites, Amphibian Pathogens, and Fungal Biology. His work addresses critical challenges in parasitic and fungal diseases, including drug resistance in Babesia and pathogenicity mechanisms in Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.
- Ph.D. in Biology, Texas Tech University
- M.Sc. in Microbiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute
- B.Sc. in Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University
Research spans three key areas: 1) Babesia parasites (tick-borne human disease) with projects on extracellular vesicles, NRF2 pathways, CRN effector genes, and drug screening; 2) Amphibian pathogens studying chitin synthase and aspartyl proteases in Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; and 3) Cross-disciplinary methods including CRISPR/Cas9 delivery, BioBERT applications, and multi-omics approaches.
Recent publications (2022-2025) focus on Babesia drug targets, fungal enzyme inhibition, and diagnostic tools, reflecting his lab's emphasis on translational research for therapeutic and diagnostic advancements.
- Scientific Awards:
- 2025 Herb Society of Amera Grant ($4,000)
- 2024 Indiana Academy of Science Grant ($5,000)
- 2023 Summer Research Grant ($8,000)
- 2023 Major Research Grant ($150,000)
His lab mentors six graduate students working on diverse projects spanning agricultural microbiology, pathogenic gene regulation, tick-borne disease drug development, EV-mediated immune responses, medical mycology, and oxidative stress pathways in parasites.
