Anirudhya Lahiri

PhD student

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Department:

Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology

Classification:

Graduate Assistant

I work in Dr. Gordon Meares's lab where we study the molecular mechanisms of neuroinflammation. Our lab specifically address the question how alterations in the cellular signaling pathways of glial cells are responsible for mediating neuroinflammatory diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis.  

I obtained my Bachelor's and Master's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Calcutta, India during which I became more interested in studying molecular mechanisms of immune processes and how these processes are affected in complex human autoimmune disorders. After finishing my master’s degree, I worked in the Human Genetics Unit at Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta as a project linked personnel for almost two years where I sought to identify the genetic and epigenetic biomarkers of psoriasis patients in India. Our study demonstrated that the individual genetic makeup is responsible to a certain degree for making a person more susceptible to psoriasis which was published in Nature Scientific Reports (DOI: 10.1038/srep240590).

During my Bachelor’s, I also worked as a translator and clinical coordinator for Pratit International, a humanitarian organization. I helped to organize free medical camps for slum dwellers and conduct epidemiological surveys in various slum regions in Calcutta.