Adirenne Ranger, Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology

Why Temerty Faculty of Medicine:
I chose the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto because is it one of the largest hubs for biomedical research, education and clinical networks in North America. There are so many diverse departments within the Temerty Faculty of Medicine that offer graduate students a breadth of opportunity to conduct research within their area of interest. There are also nine fully affiliated research-intensive hospitals which allow graduate students to gain experience within translational research.

Why this Department:
I chose the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology because I am passionate about biomedical research. As the largest academic department in Canada, it gave me the opportunity to explore hundreds of research labs ultimately allowing me to find a lab where I can conduct research I am passionate about. There are so many talented investigators from all around the world conducting basic biomedical research, translational research, or clinical practice. This gives students very diverse research options focused on investigating disease mechanisms and patterns and translating that into improved healthcare options.

Current Research Experience:
Currently, I am conducting research in the lab of Dr. Stephen Girardin. Our lab studies innate immune responses to pathogenic microbes with a focus on the intestinal epithelium. The intestinal epithelium is unique because it serves as the first line of defence against enteric pathogens. In my project, I am investigating the role of inflammasomes within intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) using primary organoids. Inflammasomes are multimeric protein complexes that initiate inflammation upon the sensing of intracellular pathogens. The goal for my project to is to understand how IEC inflammasomes sense and respond to pathogens and the resulting implications of inflammasome pathway activation on IEC proliferation, differentiation, and the transcriptome. By understanding how inflammasome activation impacts the intestinal epithelium, we hope to gain insight into the regulatory mechanisms that govern the successful clearance of pathogens versus dysregulated inflammation that could potentially lead to chronic diseases like inflammatory bowel disease.

Future Education Plans and/or Career Goals:
In the future I plan to work in the pharmaceutical industry by either continuing in a research focused role or transitioning into other positions like a medical science liaison!

Contact Ambassador Adrienne Ranger