Philip Griebel

Philip Griebel is a Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan and an Associate Member of the Department of Veterinary Microbiology. He holds a BSc (Honours) in Cell Biology (University of Victoria, 1977), a DVM (University of Saskatchewan, 1981), and a PhD in Viral Immunology (University of Saskatchewan, 1988). Since 2003, he has led the Pathogenomics Research Group at VIDO (Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization). His research focuses on mucosal immune responses, vaccine development for prion diseases, and mechanisms of immune regulation in neonatal ruminants. He is also a Canada Research Chair in Neonatal Mucosal Immunology (2009–Present).

Key research themes include: analysis of innate immune responses using gene knockout mice; mucosal immune system development in newborn ruminants; and stress effects on viral/bacterial infections in cattle. He collaborates extensively with teams like Scott Napper’s group on prion vaccines and Andrew Potter’s lab on immune cell biology.

Notable achievements include pioneering work on Mycobacterium avium pathogenesis and the role of commensal microbiota in mucosal immunity. His lab has developed novel vaccine approaches targeting persistent enteric pathogens and prion diseases. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles, with recent work focusing on miRNA regulation in bovine immunity and antibody-based prion neutralization strategies.