Andrew Van Kessel

July 9, 2024

Dr. Andrew Van Kessel received his PhD from the University of Saskatchewan where he studied hormone vaccination strategies to enhance animal performance. An interest in immune response led to postdoctoral studies at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), where he studied antigen:cytokine protein chimeras as a vaccine adjuvant strategy. He later joined the faculty of the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan where he developed germ-free rearing systems for poultry and swine to study gut microbiome influences on intestinal development and health.

As a faculty member, Andrew held several leadership roles including Head of Department; Associate Dean, Research; and member of the Board and Science Advisor to Swine Innovation Porc, Canada’s national swine research agency. He joined VIDO as Director of Research in October 2020, supporting VIDO’s One Health approach to control emerging diseases in humans and animals.

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