Drexel University College of Medicine

M.D./Ph.D. Program Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program B.A., Biochemistry, Columbia College, Columbia University Email: angela.mae.richardson@drexel.edu Advisor: Elizabeth Blankenhorn, Ph.D.

Background and Interests:

My interest in biomedical research began with an internship at AstraZeneca upon my graduation from high school.  I enjoyed my work there so much that I returned for the following two summers.  Subsequently, I participated in two independent research projects while at Columbia: examining biochemical abnormalities in cells derived from patients with MERRF and MELAS and studying the role of microtubules in the formation of the leading edge in response to wound-healing.  After graduating from college in NYC, I decided to take a break from school and taught conversational English in Japan.  After a year of karaoke and sushi, I moved back to Boston where I worked as a research technician at the Broad Institute examining the genetic basis of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions such as SLE and IBD.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a ubiquitous pathogen affecting a large percentage of adults.  Although rare, one of the most severe complications of infection is HSV-1 encephalitis.  Inbred mouse strains vary in their susceptibility to HSV-1 encephalitis, and thus serve as a useful model to examine genetic involvement in resistance to CNS involvement in disease.  Recent studies have also implicated specific genes in human susceptibility to HSV-1 encephalitis, specifically TLR3 and UNC93B.  My work uses a congenic mouse model to examine the role of a specific chromosomal region on susceptibility to HSV-1 encephalitis.