Chinmay Vijay Tikhe
Assistant Professor
Education
Research Associate- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2022–2025
Postdoctoral Researcher– Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2017–2022
Ph.D. in Entomology – Louisiana State University, 2017
M.S. in Microbiology – University of Pune, 2010
B.S. in Microbiology – University of Pune, 2008
Teaching Interests
I am passionate about creating an active and curiosity-driven learning environment where students learn to think critically, ask meaningful questions, and apply microbiological concepts to real-world challenges. I also incorporate CURE-based teaching (Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences) to provide authentic research opportunities in the classroom, helping students develop scientific skills while contributing to real projects. My goal is to prepare students not just for exams, but for professional success in healthcare, research, and beyond.
Research Interests
My research focuses on insect–microbe interactions, with particular emphasis on mosquitoes and their associated microbiomes. My laboratory investigates bacteriophages in insect systems, the role of microbial communities in shaping mosquito biology, and the development of microbial biopesticides as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides. This includes both fundamental studies that seek to understand how microbes influence insect physiology and applied projects aimed at developing sustainable tools for controlling insect vectors of human disease. Our work is highly integrative, bridging entomology, microbiology, molecular biology, and translational science, and is strongly driven by student-led research projects and collaborations with public health organizations. For more information about the research visit the lab website https://tikhelab.org/
Publications:
Tikhe CV, Sare I, Dong Y, Kefi M, Tavadia M, Bilgo E, Rodrigo MC, Marshall J, Diabate A and
Dimopoulos G: Chromobacterium biopesticide overcomes insecticide resistance in malaria vector
mosquitoes, Science Advances, 2024
Tikhe CV and Dimopoulos G: Phage Therapy for Mosquito Larval Control: a Proof-of-
Principle Study, mBio, 2022
Engdahl Cecilia S, Tikhe CV and Dimopoulos G: Discovery of novel natural products for
mosquito control, Parasites & Vectors, 2022
Cardoso-Jaime V, Tikhe CV, Dong S, Dimopoulos G: The role of mosquito hemocytes in
viral infections, Viruses, 2022
Dong S, Zi Ye, Tikhe CV, Zhijian Jake Tu, Laurence J Zwiebel, Dimopoulos G: Pleiotropic
Odorant-Binding Proteins promote Aedes aegypti reproduction and flavivirus transmission,
mBio, 2021.