Manish Sadarangani: Associate Professor at Department of Pediatrics, UBC Faculty of Medicine

Dr. Sadarangani is head of the Vaccine Evaluation Center (VEC) at BC Children’s Hospital. Founded in 1988, the VEC is an academic centre of excellence focusing on vaccine and immunization research in BC and across Canada. He is also a pediatric infectious disease specialist and an investigator at BC Children’s, and assistant professor with the UBC Department of Pediatrics.

The aim of his research at the Vaccine Evaluation Center (VEC) is to lower the burden of childhood infectious disease through vaccination by building an evidence base for local, national and international vaccine policy. Hisresearch program includes laboratory studies to develop new and better vaccines, clinical trials to identify how best to utilize new and approved vaccines, and population-based investigations to identify targets for new vaccines and demonstrate vaccine impact.

Research Methodology

In vitro immune responses to vaccines

Population level evaluation of immunization programs

Animal models for immunization

Bacterial modification

Recruitment

Looking to recruit:

Master's students

Doctoral students

Postdoctoral Fellows

Desired start dates: Any time / year round

Potential research project areas:

My research covers several independent, but related, areas of infectious diseases and vaccine research, including:

- Understanding vaccine-induced immunity, particular for bacterial vaccines including vaccines against Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Bordetella pertussis.

- Development of novel vaccines for pathogens of major public health importance.

- Infectious diseases epidemiology and evaluation of vaccine impact, with a particular interest in brain infections.

- Immunization in pregnancy.

I am Director of the Vaccine Evaluation Center (VEC) at BC Children’s Hospital Reserarch Institute. Founded in 1988, the VEC is an academic centre of excellence focusing on vaccine and immunization research in BC and across Canada. I am also a pediatric infectious disease specialist based at BC Children’s Hospital.

The aim of my research at the VEC is to lower the burden of infectious disease through vaccination by building an evidence base for local, national and international vaccine policy. My research program includes laboratory studies to develop new and better vaccines, clinical trials to identify how best to utilize new and approved vaccines, and population-based investigations to identify targets for new vaccines and demonstrate vaccine impact.

Other options:

I support public scholarship, e.g. through the Public Scholars Initiative, and am available to supervise students and Postdocs interested in collaborating with external partners as part of their research.

I support experiential learning experiences, such as internships and work placements, for my graduate students and Postdocs.

I am open to hosting Visiting International Research Students (non-degree, up to 12 months).

I am interested in hiring Co-op students for research placements.

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Supervision Enquiry

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Graduate Student Supervision

Doctoral Student Supervision (Jan 2008 - April 2022)

Evaluation of pertussis immunization during pregnancy (2021)

Pertussis disease is most severe among young infants, leading to high morbidity and mortality. To reduce the burden of pertussis disease among young infants, immunization against pertussis during pregnancy has been implemented in an increasing number of countries over the past decade. My research goals have focused on addressing important knowledge gaps in the field of pertussis immunization during pregnancy to inform an evidence-based immunization program. Using data on hospitalized pertussis cases admitted to pediatric tertiary care centers in Canada, I report that the highest morbidity and mortality from pertussis is among infants
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