Student Profile: Kirthana Ganeshan, Integrated Graduate Program in Life Sciences| | 
| | Kirthana Ganeshan |
Where is your hometown?
I am originally from Sri Lanka, but grew up in Brunei Darussalam, a small country on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. What is your educational background?
I received my undergraduate degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee, where I majored in molecular biology. What are your research interests?
I am interested in how the inflammatory immune response is regulated. In response to any pathogenic insult, either innate or adaptive, the resulting immune response is typically very complex and involves structural and immune cells as well as a variety of soluble factors. It is fascinating how the immune system orchestrates these responses to resolve inflammation and avoid unnecessary self-tissue destruction. I am specifically interested in how cellular immune responses are regulated.
I was fortunate to be able to pursue this interest as a graduate student in the laboratory of Paul Bryce, PhD in the Division of Allergy-Immunology. My thesis project focuses on investigating how regulatory T cells regulate mast cell responses in both innate and adaptive immunity. What exciting projects are you working on?
While mast cells are classically identified as highly pro-inflammatory cells, these cells are capable of being “tuned” to function in an anti-inflammatory fashion. My research focuses on investigating the mechanisms by which regulatory T cells, well-characterized suppressive T cells, interact with mast cells to modulate their inflammatory potential. Recently, much of my project has focused on examining regulatory T cell regulation of mast cell cytokine production. My work has uncovered a novel mechanism by which regulatory T cells, through the presentation of TGF on their cell surface, promote mast cells to produce interleukin-6. This phenomenon appears to be critical to resolve innate inflammation in a mouse model of acute lung injury. As both mast cells and regulatory T cells have been extensively studied in adaptive immune responses, I was very excited to demonstrate a function for this cell-cell interaction in a model of innate inflammation. What attracted you to the IGP program?
A feature that resonated with me about the IGP was the incredible collegial attitude among the students and the faculty. There was a level of camaraderie and support that I didn’t encounter at any other institution and I think it is a really important part of the program. Also, as the IGP is an umbrella program, I had the opportunity to rotate through different departments and meet a variety of faculty and students. This was a great chance for me to consider many different avenues in immunology research before choosing a thesis lab. What has been your best experience at Feinberg?
A highlight for me was receiving a pre-doctoral fellowship through the American Heart Association last year. I have also been able to attend a number of national conferences in my time here and these have been great opportunities to show my work to a wide audience. How would you describe the faculty at Feinberg?
The faculty has been very approachable and supportive of me throughout my time here. They have always been generous with their time and willing to share their expertise. What do you do in your free time?
Whenever possible, I like to travel. I have a lot of family and friends who live all over the United States and abroad and I enjoy visiting them. What are your plans after graduation?
I would like to continue my training in immunology with a post-doctoral position at an academic institution. | 
