Maninjay Atianand's Biography

Maninjay Atianand, Research Fellow, University of Massachusetts Medical School

How do immune cells mount appropriate responses during health and disease? The central goals of my research are to address this question by deciphering the functions of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a novel class of genes encoding non-protein-coding transcripts with largely unknown functions, in the gene expression programs associated with innate immunity, inflammation and host defense against infections. After receiving my medical degree in India, I began my scientific career by pursuing broad research training in innate immunity, signal transduction, gene expression, and host defense against pathogens. My research lies at the interface of innate immunity and the RNA biology where I am employing cutting-edge biochemical, molecular and genetic approaches in a highly collaborative environment to uncover the functions of lncRNAs. I aspire to be a leader in this novel area of research where I am confident that my research will make critical breakthroughs to advance our understanding of the functions of lncRNAs in the immune system.