WCVM adjunct professor and VIDO scientist named Emerging Leader in Health Sciences
University of Saskatchewan (USask) scientist Dr. Arinjay Banerjee (PhD) is one of five researchers elected by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) for its inaugural Emerging Leaders cohort.
By Erin Matthews“It’s a great opportunity to be mentored by some of our country’s best,” said Banerjee, a principal scientist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) and an adjunct professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
“I’m very excited to learn from CAHS fellows who have spent their lives doing important science that benefits the lives of Canadians.”
CAHS is an elite organization that brings the country’s top scientists and scholars together to tackle top-of-mind health concerns impacting Canadians. Using their diverse expertise, CAHS fellows work together to evaluate and recommend solutions to health challenges.
“If you’re in the health sciences, being named as one of the emerging leaders in that space is a wonderful opportunity. It means that the committee thinks we are doing good work, that we have the potential to inform decisions on a national level, and that we have trust from senior members of the academy,” said Banerjee.
Five other WCVM-based scientists — Drs. Cheryl Waldner, Volker Gerdts, Gregg Adams, Ted Leighton and Baljit Singh — have been elected to the CAHS in the past decade.
Over the next five years, Banerjee will have the opportunity to work closely with active members of CAHS, receiving mentorship and recognition for his dedication to One Health research — a discipline which integrates human, animal and environmental health.
Banerjee is a big believer in the importance of mentorship.
“All my mentors have really helped get me here and without each of them I wouldn’t be doing the work I am doing,” said Banerjee.
As a virologist, Banerjee began his training in Mumbai, India, before moving to the National Institute of Virology in Pune. While there, he received a prestigious European summer fellowship that took him to Germany.
A chance encounter at a conference that summer allowed Banerjee to connect with USask researchers who were beginning to explore bat virology in Canada. One of the scientists was Dr. Vikram Misra (PhD), a professor emeritus at the WCVM. Excited about this innovative research into bat viruses, Banerjee began his journey to Saskatchewan where he completed his master’s thesis project and PhD program under Misra's supervision.
“Bat research was really in its infancy at the time, and I had the opportunity to develop the first commercially available North American bat cell line here at USask, which is now the bread and butter for my lab,” said Banerjee.
Banerjee’s laboratory at VIDO studies bats’ unique immune systems and aims to develop therapeutics to protect humans from emerging viruses.
“I’m really passionate about the little things you discover as a scientist, things that only you will know. Until it’s published, nobody else in the world knows and that’s so exciting and I think that attitude is infectious in my lab,” said Banerjee.
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