Dr Sameer Dixit

Vice-Chairperson and Director of Research at the Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal (CMDN)

Master of Science (Biotechnology), 1996

Bachelor of Science (Honours), 1999

Dr Sameer Dixit is working to transform public health in Nepal and beyond, leading pioneering biomedical research to shape more effective responses to infectious diseases and combat complex global health challenges.

Sameer is Vice-Chairperson and Director of Research at the Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal (CMDN), an independent not-for-profit organisation leading a revolution in research to drive evidence-based policy making for the benefit of people, animals and the environment. He co-founded CMDN in 2007, seizing the opportunity to apply the biomedical expertise gained through his international studies to lessen the terrible burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases negatively impacting the development of his country.

Over the past 12 years, he has worked with the Nepalese Government to identify and respond to major epidemics including a deadly bacterial cholera outbreak, and actively shaped more effective policy approaches through key advisory and leadership roles with the Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership within Nepal Public Health Foundation, among others. He is a widely published and recognised expert in human health, One Health, immunology and molecular biology, and is Nepal’s foremost authority on antimicrobial resistance.

Together with its commercial laboratory arm, Intrepid Nepal, CMDN is forging new paths in a diversity of areas from plant genetics to the production of vaccines for viral diseases, collaborating with the World Health Organization, governments and research institutes across the globe to extend the impact of its work. Crucially, Sameer has inspired the creation of a thriving health and environmental research sector in Nepal, and actively nurtures the next generation of research talent.

Sameer’s abundant achievements are not limited to the research arena. He is a celebrated actor and producer of screen and stage – his film Highway was the first Nepalese production ever to be screened at the Berlin International Film Festival – and is co-host of Kantipur Television’s Network’s Good Morning Nepal breakfast show. A passionate advocate for the role of education in the control and prevention of disease and the betterment of society, he uses this very public platform to bring important scientific, political and social issues into the national discourse.

Beyond this, he is a passionate activist for the anti-corruption movement in Nepal, and an enthusiastic cyclist campaigning for greater road safety through the installation of bicycle lanes throughout the nation.

Chancellor, Dr Sameer Dixit has made an enormous contribution to his field at a local, national and international level. He is responsible for establishing Nepal as a global leader in health research and the provision of biomedical research and testing, drawing students and researchers from around the world to join his mission.

I am delighted to present Dr Sameer Dixit for the Alumni Award for Social Impact.