Gagandeep Kang

Gagandeep “Cherry” Kang is a physician-scientist who leads the foundation’s efforts to address enteric and diarrheal diseases, including by supporting work on diagnostics, genomics, epidemiology, and disease transmission modeling. She joined the foundation in 2023.

Previously, in addition to serving on the foundation’s Scientific Advisory Committee, Cherry was a professor in the Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences at Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, India, where she received her MBBS, MD and PhD. With a focus on vaccines and public health, and in particular enteric infectious disease in Indian children, her research encompassed water and sanitation, vaccine trials, disease surveillance, and nutrition.

Cherry’s experience also includes working for the Indian government, leading and building the country’s first translational health science institute. She has served on committees in India and at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters and WHO Southeast Asia that provide strategic advice on vaccine policies and introductions, safety, new product development, modeling, and biological standardization. She is a mentor and guide to women both at work and outside of work. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and a member of the US National Academy of Medicine and received the John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award in 2024.