Bernard Arulanandam, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Jane and Roland Blumberg Professor of Biosciences
Interim Vice President for Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise
D
r. Bernard Arulanandam is the Interim Vice President for Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise (REDKE) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Since 2016, Dr. Arulanandam has directed the research enterprise at UTSA, leading to its highest research expenditures to date, and in 2018, added economic development to his portfolio. The same year, he fostered the creation of UTSA’s National Security Collaboration Center.
He is an established Immunologist and directs a research program that is focused on elucidating host-microbial interactions and the cellular & molecular mechanisms involved in the induction of immune responses against infectious diseases. Work from his laboratory have provided new insights into the development of vaccines against Chlamydia trachomatis, the leading cause of sexually transmitted bacterial disease and the creation of a potential live attenuated vaccine against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii identified as an important nosocomial pathogen. His research has also advanced several animal models for vaccine development against Francisella tularensis. Dr. Arulanandam’s interdisciplinary research accomplishments are demonstrated by his funding from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security, extensive list of research publications and issued patents. Dr. Arulanandam has successfully mentored many students and post-doctoral fellows who have now developed independent productive careers in government, industry and academia.
From 2012 to 2016, Dr. Arulanandam served as the Director of the South Texas Center of Emerging Infectious Diseases and currently is also the Scientific Director of the Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio. Dr. Arulanandam serves as the Councilor for the Oak Ridge Association of Universities, a member of the Board of Directors for Biomed SA and represents UTSA at the UT System Office of Federal Relations National Security Advisory Group (NSAG).
In addition to his current position as the Interim Vice President for REDKE, Dr. Arulanandam was appointed the Assistant Vice President for Research Support in 2012 and continues to serve in this role. In this capacity, he is involved in promoting and supporting research and scholarly activities at UTSA. In 2015, Dr. Arulanandam was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and received the Fulbright International Education Administrator Award in 2016. In 2017, Dr. Arulanandam was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM). Most recently, he was inducted as a fellow to the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in 2019.
Dr. Bernard Arulanandam obtained a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology at the Medical College of Ohio and received a postdoctoral fellowship at the Albany Medical College in New York and an executive M.B.A. at The University of Texas at San Antonio.
