Rotavirus Vaccine Scientist Dr Gagandeep Kang Resigns From Top Research Institute

Photo courtesy: The Indian Express

New Delhi: Eminent medical scientist Dr Gagandeep Kang, who played a critical role in the development of the indigenous rotavirus vaccine, has resigned as executive director of the Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute (THSTI), the prestigious Faridabad-based public health research institute under the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Department of Biotechnology.

Prof Kang is the first Indian woman scientist to be elected Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), London. Her resignation came around two months after a committee to look into indigenous COVID-19 drugs and vaccines that she headed, was disbanded.

Dr Kang however, said that her resignation had nothing to do with disbanding of the committee and that she had resigned due to personal reasons. As lien to THSTI since 2016, she still had another year’s tenure left.

“I have resigned. I am planning to leave next month. I could have gone back last year. I didn’t. Now I’d like to go home because I want to be home in Vellore,” she told The Indian Express.

“I haven’t decided the date yet. I’m trying to make sure that it’s a really smooth transition,” she said.

Dr Kang’s tenure at THSTI was until August 2021, Dr Siuli Mitra, Professional Expert (Science Communication and PR) at the institute was quoted as saying by Indian Express.