A Kashmiri scientist, Oxford and improved Covid jab

Srinagar: A 33-year-old scientist has made Kashmir proud after he was selected to improve upon the Covid vaccine at the prestigious Sarah Gilbert’s Laboratory, University of Oxford.

Dr. Salik Nazki has become the first Kashmiri scientist to work on vaccines at Sarah Gilbert’s laboratory in the University of Oxford.

Professor Gilbert’s laboratory rose to prominence during the pandemic. The lab is attributed to saving millions of lives as it developed the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine which was one of the first vaccines available for use in the UK and around the world during Covid.

“We are working on ChAdOx vector vaccine platform to improve the Covid vaccine. In the future, we will also work on other vaccines of pandemic importance.” he told The Kashmir Monitor.

Hailing from the old city of Srinagar, Nazki’s interest in understanding the immune system and its reaction to viral infections developed while pursuing his master’s in Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology at SKUAST-Kashmir. This growing passion led to taking up the path of research. Subsequently, he completed his Ph.D. in South Korea at Jeonbuk National University in 2019. 

“My Ph.D. research focused on the study of disease development and the response of the immune system to economically significant veterinary viruses. During my research, I could visualize how the immune system reacts to viral infections to clear the viruses from the body. This led me to seek opportunities globally to continue my research in viral immunology,” he said.

This was followed by a postdoctoral position at the Pirbright Institute in the UK which houses world reference laboratories of several viruses of veterinary importance.

In November 2022, Nazki finally realized his dream as he joined Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert’s lab at the University of Oxford as an immunologist. The lab is dedicated to developing viral vectored vaccines (Viral vectored vaccines use a modified version of a virus (a vector) to deliver genetic instructions to the body’s cells) that stimulate robust immune responses. Their main focus includes influenza vaccines and vaccines against emerging pathogens such as Nipah virus, MERS, SARS-Cov-2, and Lassa virus, Nazki detailed.

“The outbreak of Covid-19 brought attention to Sarah Gilbert, who led the development of the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine. I started following her work and was impressed by the research she had performed over the decades to come up with a vaccine platform that helped save millions of lives around the world in the recent pandemic,” he said.

Nazki’s project at Oxford University focuses on how our body uses vaccines to fight off diseases. When we get a vaccine, it helps our body build immunity to the disease it’s meant to protect us against.

“I am studying a specific part of this process, called T-cell epitope processing and presentation. T-cells are a type of white blood cell in our body that helps us fight off infections and diseases. They do this by recognizing and attacking specific parts of the virus or bacteria that have invaded our body. These specific parts of the virus or bacteria are called epitopes,” he said.

Nazki is studying how vaccines, like the ones made from adenoviral vectors (ChAdOx), help T-cells recognize and attack these epitopes.  “By understanding this process better, I along with my team can work on making better vaccines that provide stronger and longer-lasting protection against diseases,” he said.

Sharing his experience, he advised young individuals interested in a career in immunology or virology to first build a strong foundation in the theoretical knowledge of the subjects during their undergraduate studies.

“It is recommended to stay informed on new developments in the field by reading widely and to deepen their knowledge through hands-on experiences, such as internships, lab work, or research projects. The students who are keen to work in a lab should start participating in lab work and gain hands-on experience with basic techniques while they are in their undergraduate degree programs. This will give them a head start in developing practical skills and forming valuable connections in the field, without having to wait until you pursue a master’s or Ph.D. degree,” Nazki noted.

He stressed that networking with other scientists and attending conferences and workshops can help make valuable connections and build relationships with established researchers.