Babita Agrawal, University of Alberta

Research

In Vitro And In Vivo Studies Pharmaceuticals Broadly-Protective Coronavirus Vaccine Nanoparticles Vaccine Biotherapeutics Drug Development Immunotherapeutic

Latest papers

ESAT-6-derived lipopeptide-based mucosal vaccine elicits distinct humoral immune responses concomitant with a reduction in mycobacterium infection.
Emerging microbes & infections · 2026 · senior author
A Novel Host-Based Immunotherapy for the Suppression of HBV and HCV Replication: Heat-Killed Caulobacter crescentus (HKCC).
Cells · 2026 · senior author
Host-directed broad-spectrum immunotherapeutic strategy for respiratory infections: Heat-killed Caulobacter crescentus (HKCC) as an innate-immune based biotherapeutic/postbiotic.
PLoS pathogens · 2026 · senior author

All 51 publications

Latest funding

Studies on a broadly-protective novel lipopeptides-based intranasal vaccine for SARS-CoV2
CIHR · 2024 · Nominated PI
$956,250
Investigation of novel host-based approaches for the treatment of tuberculosis
CIHR · 2020 · Nominated PI
$787,950
Development of a novel universal (cross-protective) vaccine technology for influenza viruses
CIHR · 2019 · Nominated PI
$367,200

All 9 grants and awards

51 publications.

01

ESAT-6-derived lipopeptide-based mucosal vaccine elicits distinct humoral immune responses concomitant with a reduction in mycobacterium infection.

Werellagama S, Gupta N, Li J, Kumar R, Agrawal B

Emerging microbes & infections2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2026.2735151 PMID: 42742111

02

A Novel Host-Based Immunotherapy for the Suppression of HBV and HCV Replication: Heat-Killed Caulobacter crescentus (HKCC).

Patel RS, Gupta N, Vedi S, Kumar R, Agrawal B

Cells2026Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/cells15131172 PMID: 42439649

03

Host-directed broad-spectrum immunotherapeutic strategy for respiratory infections: Heat-killed Caulobacter crescentus (HKCC) as an innate-immune based biotherapeutic/postbiotic.

Werellagama S, Patel RS, Gupta N, Vedi S, Duque D, Bavananthasivam J, Kumar R, Tran A, Agrawal B

PLoS pathogens2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013994 PMID: 41739887

04

Mixed lipopeptide-based mucosal vaccine elicits a long-term bone marrow memory response that is potentially cross-reactive against a broad-spectrum of coronaviruses in mice.

Patel RS, Agrawal B

Frontiers in immunology2025Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1619882 PMID: 40791594

05

Mixed lipopeptide-based mucosal vaccine candidate induces cross-variant immunity and protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection in hamsters.

Patel RS, Duque D, Bavananthasivam J, Hewitt M, Sandhu JK, Kumar R, Tran A, Agrawal B

ImmunoHorizons2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1093/immhor/vlae011 PMID: 39849995

06

Antibody Responses in SARS-CoV-2-Exposed and/or Vaccinated Individuals Target Conserved Epitopes from Multiple CoV-2 Antigens.

Yao D, Patel RS, Lam A, Glover Q, Srinivasan C, Herchen A, Ritchie B, Agrawal B

International journal of molecular sciences2024Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/ijms25189814 PMID: 39337303

07

Mucosal immunization with lipopeptides derived from conserved regions of SARS-CoV-2 antigens induce robust cellular and cross-variant humoral immune responses in mice.

Patel RS, Agrawal B

Frontiers in immunology2023Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1178523 PMID: 37334376

08

Harnessing Innate Immunity to Treat Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infections: Heat-Killed Caulobacter crescentus as a Novel Biotherapeutic.

Gupta N, Vedi S, Garg S, Loo E, Li J, Kunimoto DY, Kumar R, Agrawal B

Cells2023Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/cells12040560 PMID: 36831226

09

Heterologous immunity induced by 1st generation COVID-19 vaccines and its role in developing a pan-coronavirus vaccine.

Patel RS, Agrawal B

Frontiers in immunology2022Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.952229 PMID: 36045689

10

Stimulation of toll-like receptor pathways by burn eschar tissue as a possible mechanism for hypertrophic scarring.

Agrawal A, Ding J, Agrawal B, Kwan PO, Tredget EE

Wound repair and regeneration : official publication of the Wound Healing Society [and] the European Tissue Repair Society2021

DOI: 10.1111/wrr.12940 PMID: 34043867

Studies on a broadly-protective novel lipopeptides-based intranasal vaccine for SARS-CoV2

Nominated PICIHR2024Project Grant

Principal investigators: Agrawal, Babita

Keywords: Broadly-Protective Coronavirus Vaccine; In Vitro And In Vivo Studies; Nanoparticles; Pharmaceuticals; Vaccine

$956,250

Investigation of novel host-based approaches for the treatment of tuberculosis

Nominated PICIHR2020Project Grant

Principal investigators: Agrawal, Babita

Keywords: Biotherapeutics; Drug Development; Immunotherapeutic; In Vitro And In Vivo Studies; Pharmaceuticals

$787,950

Development of a novel universal (cross-protective) vaccine technology for influenza viruses

Nominated PICIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: Agrawal, Babita

Keywords: Influenza Vaccine; Product Commercialization; Universal Influenza Vaccine

$367,200

Studies on a novel T cell regulatory molecule

Principal investigatorNSERC2019Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Agrawal, Babita

$32,000

New dual-mode antiviral agents for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection

Nominated PICIHR2013Proof of Principle Program - Phase I

Principal investigators: Agrawal, Babita

Keywords: Antiviral Agents; Hepatitis C Virus; Innate Immunity; Treatment

$159,984

Novel cross-protective (universal) vaccine for influenza infections

Nominated PICIHR2012Proof of Principle Program - Phase I

Principal investigators: Agrawal, Babita

Keywords: Conserved Antigen; Influenza; Tlr Agonists; Universal Vaccine

$159,990

Developing treatments to controlling regulatory T cell over-regulation and under-regulation as an option for Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer

SupervisorCIHR2008Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Loo, Eric W

Keywords: Autoimmune Disease; Cancer Immunotherapy; Immune Regulation; Multiple Sclerosis; Regulatory T Cells; Tumour Associated Antigens

$105,000

Immune responses and regulation in hepatitis C virus infection: Implications for immunotherapy

Nominated PICIHR2008Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Agrawal, Babita

Keywords: Cellular Immunology; Experimental Medicine; Hepatitis C Virus; Immune Responses; Immunotherapy; Liver Disease

$602,481

Cancer therapy employing the tumour suppressing bacterium Caulobacter crescentus

Co-investigatorNSERC2007Collaborative Health Research Projects

Principal investigators: Smit, John

$215,180

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Surgery
Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Medicine
Medicine/Neurology

Co-authors at University of Alberta, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Rakesh Kumar

Laboratory Medicine and Pathology

32 shared papers, latest 2026

Christopher Power

Medicine/Neurology

1 shared papers, latest 2010

Amogh Agrawal

Medicine

1 shared papers, latest 2014

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2024

Subject: Prospective PhD student: In Vitro And In Vivo Studies Dear Professor Agrawal, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "ESAT-6-derived lipopeptide-based mucosal vaccine elicits distinct humoral immune responses concomitant with a reduction in mycobacterium infection." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Studies on a broadly-protective novel lipopeptides-based intranasal vaccine for SARS-CoV2" (2024), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]