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Dr. Niikura is a virologist with a veterinary background, completing his formal veterinary education at Hokkaido University in Japan, where he also earned his PhD. His research has focused on the antigenicity of viral proteins of Marek’s disease virus (MDV) and Newcastle disease virus, both of which cause serious diseases in poultry. Throughout his career, Dr. Niikura has been engaged in various aspects of virus research at several academic and governmental institutions, including the University of Tokyo, NERC Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology, Thomas Jefferson University, USDA-ARS Avian Disease Oncology Laboratory, and Michigan State University. His current research interests include the development of a molecular understanding of viruses and host interactions at the individual host level, particularly focusing on MDV, an alphaherpesvirus that causes lymphomas in chickens. He is investigating how MD vaccines work, with an understanding that virulence of MDV seems to have increased over decades, presenting challenges to current vaccines. Dr. Niikura's work utilizes bacterial artificial chromosome technology and recombination techniques to tackle these viral issues, aiming for advancements in vaccine development. He joined Simon Fraser University in 2007 and continues to contribute to the field through his teaching and research activities.
Department of Philosophy