Deanna Santer

Dr. Deanna Santer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology at the Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, and holds the GSK Endowed Research Chair in Immunobiology of Infectious Diseases. Her research focuses on interferon biology, particularly type I vs. type III interferons' roles in antiviral immunity and inflammation. She collaborates on clinical trials investigating interferon-lambda treatments for COVID-19 and studies the role of interferons in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and gut health.

• Affiliations: GSK Endowed Research Chair, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM)
• Educational Background: B.Sc. (Hons) in Immunology and Infection (University of Alberta, 2005), Ph.D. in Immunology (University of Washington, 2010), Postdoc under Dr. Michael Houghton (University of Alberta, 2017)

Her research themes include antiviral immunity, chronic inflammation, and immune cell biology. Key projects involve analyzing how dietary fibers and microbiota influence IBD through interferon-lambda pathways, and evaluating interferon-based therapies for viral infections. Dr. Santer has secured over $9.6M in federal grants, including CIHR operating grants for COVID-19 research and IBD studies.

Recognition: Recipient of the Ray Owen Young Investigator Award (2008), CIHR postdoctoral fellowship, and multiple grants recognizing her contributions to immunology and infectious disease research.

Labs & Teams: The Santer Lab, established in 2020, investigates gut immunity and interferon signaling in IBD. It collaborates with institutions like the University of Alberta and University Health Network. The lab is actively recruiting Ph.D. students for 2026.