Solaris Vaccines, a biotechnology company pioneering a novel approach to vaccine development, announced the appointment of Taru Dutt, PhD, as Director of Bacterial Countermeasures. This strategic addition strengthens Solaris’s mission to address some of the most persistent challenges in infectious disease prevention.
Dr. Dutt brings deep expertise in bacterial immunology and chronic infections such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. An Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, her research focuses on mucosal immunity and vaccine design, advancing new approaches to protect against difficult-to-treat bacterial threats.
Dr. Dutt earned her PhD in immunology and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Colorado State University, where she worked on advanced TB vaccine candidates and developed innovative animal models of mycobacterial infection. Her research has advanced understanding of how lung-resident immune responses shape protection against TB and has opened new avenues for vaccine design and antibody discovery. Her accomplishments include receiving the prestigious NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award and invitations as a visiting professor at international institutes in South Africa and Brazil. She is recognized for integrating traditional experimental immunology with cutting-edge computational approaches, enabling high-resolution antigen discovery and translational insights, with a long-term vision of developing transformative vaccines and therapies against TB and related pathogens.
“The addition of Dr. Dutt to the Solaris team brings a renewed focus on the leading cause of death from infectious disease: Tuberculosis (TB). There is a major unmet need for effective vaccine protection in adults, who comprise 90% of the global TB disease burden. In light of the recent surge in the United States — with nearly 10,000 cases reported in 2023, including 340 pediatric cases — novel strategies for preventing TB are urgently needed. With Dr. Dutt’s expertise, Solaris is now positioned to lead the development of innovative TB vaccine solutions aimed at addressing this critical public health challenge,” said Olivia Asfaha, Director, Operations.
About Solaris Vaccines, Inc.
Created in 2021 by VIC Technology Venture Development, Solaris Vaccines is applying its photoinactivation platform using non-toxic UV light and Vitamin B2 to rapidly produce effective vaccines against many of the world’s deadliest pathogens, including pandemic influenza, dengue, tuberculosis, and others. Go to solarisvax.com to learn more.