Deepshika Ramanan

Deepshika Ramanan, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, affiliated with the NOMIS Center for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis. She holds a PhD in Immunology and Inflammation from New York University, a BS in Cell and Molecular Biology from Winona State University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on maternal-infant immunity, particularly how maternal factors like breast milk shape offspring immune systems across generations. Key areas include the entero-mammary axis, maternal antibody effects on gut microbes, and multigenerational immune transmission. Her lab employs single-cell techniques, metabolomics, and metagenomics in mouse models and human samples.

Research highlights include discovering that maternal antibodies influence offspring intestinal immunity and identifying mechanisms of transgenerational immune transfer. Awards include the V Foundation’s Women Scientists Innovation Award (2023), Damon Runyon Breakthrough Scientist Award, and STAT Wunderkind Award. Collaborations include work with UC San Diego’s Human Milk Institute to study breast milk components’ roles in immune programming.

Ramanan emphasizes fostering inclusive environments for diverse scientific backgrounds. Her future goals aim to bridge gaps in understanding maternal immune changes during pregnancy/lactation and translate findings into preventive strategies for autoimmune diseases and cancer.