May 21, 2021
In Memoriam: Dr. Deepak Gaur
IAVI remembers Dr. Deepak Gaur, Deputy Country Director, India, and extends our deepest sympathies to his family.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Deepak Gaur, Deputy Country Director, India, IAVI, from COVID-19 in the early hours of Thursday, May 20, at the age of 48. His passing was much too soon, and he leaves behind a wife and two sons. Our hearts go out to his family.
Dr. Deepak Gaur, Deputy Country Director, IAVI India.
Dr. Gaur was a formidable malaria researcher, receiving the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for his contributions to medical science in 2017. Dr. Gaur’s seminal work on discovering a multiprotein adhesion complex on Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite which causes malaria, is known to have potential in the development a vaccine against the parasite. He previously received the National Bioscience Award of the Department of Biotechnology in 2014 and was a Ramalingaswami fellow.
In his short time at IAVI since joining in November 2020, Deepak became a valuable contributor, a strong leader, a kind peer, and a friend to many of us at IAVI. His colleagues will remember him for his gratitude and dedication to science in the pursuit of a malaria vaccine, and more recently an HIV vaccine.
“Deepak was a warm, kind, and humble person and a respected scientist globally and in India. His contributions to the malaria vaccine field will have an everlasting impact for the betterment of humankind. He has made significant contributions to IAVI and the lab in India since joining in November 2020, where he touched the hearts of many colleagues. All of us at IAVI and Dr. Gaur’s colleagues in the global scientific community are devastated by this loss.”
He will always be remembered, and we will hold our time with him dear in our hearts.