Aniruddha completed his Ph.D. in mathematical biology at Shiv Nadar University in India in 2019, under the guidance of Dr. Samit Bhattacharyya. His doctoral research delved into the intricate non-linear connections between human vaccination behavior and disease dynamics. He explored methods to optimally design strategies for managing public perceptions, including budget allocations during disease outbreaks.Following his Ph.D., Dr. Deka pursued a postdoctoral position at Pennsylvania State University, where he focused on evaluating the advantages and drawbacks of utilizing transmissible vaccines in animal populations. These self-disseminating vaccines, capable of spreading between hosts, offer a rapid and cost-effective means to reduce disease prevalence in wildlife. However, they also pose significant evolutionary risks, such as the potential for rapid evolution, reversion to virulent forms, or recombination with pathogenic viruses, which could compromise the effectiveness of vaccination efforts. He did another postdoc at Texas A&M University working on potential impact of mass treatment of dogs with systemic insecticides as a novel and additional intervention for the control and elimination of Chagas disease.