Editor Profile

Richa Hanamsagar

University/Organization: Harvard Medical School

Country: United States

 Biography

I studied Bachelor’s in Pharmacy at the University of Pune, India in 2008. Soon after, I moved to the United States for my Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha. Here, I studied the role on inflammasome in microglia during Staphylococcus aureus-induced central nervous system infections under the expert guidance of Dr. Tammy Kielian. After graduating from UNMC in 2013, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Staci Bilbo as a post-doctoral researcher.

I investigated how early-life immune challenge (such as bacterial infection) can activate microglia long-term, thereby affecting neuronal function and behavior. Specifically, I was interested sex differential mechanisms in this process. I then moved to Harvard Medical School with the Bilbo Lab. Here, as a research fellow I closely investigated sex differences in microglial development using RNA sequencing and bioinformatics tools. I am very interested in understanding the role of microglia during normal development.