Dr. Satya Dandekar is the Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Medicine, University of California, Davis. Her research program is focused on infectious diseases with specific emphasis on mucosal pathogens and mucosal immunity. Dr. Dandekar provided leadership in building vibrant program on mucosal infections and immunity at UC Davis. As a Core Scientist at the California National Primate Research Center, she contributes to translational non-human primate research. Her contributions extend to organizing scientific conferences, serving on grant review panels, and participating in the graduate and undergraduate education. She is an elected American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow and American Academy of Microbiology (AAM) Fellow, ASM. She is a recipient of the NIH MERIT Award.
Dr. Dandekar’s current research is centered on developing biotherapeutic approaches to accelerate the repair/renewal of virally inflamed gut mucosa, with extended impact on the gut-brain axis. Her group identified the gut lymphoid tissue as an early and critical target of HIV and SIV infections. They elucidated mechanisms of gut mucosal immune disruption and demonstrated novel regenerative potential of mesenchymal stem cells in restoring gut lymphoid follicles, enhancing anti-viral immunity, and promoting viral clearance.