Montserrat C. Anguera

Montserrat C. Anguera is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Her research focuses on epigenetic mechanisms in immune cells and placental development, with particular emphasis on X-chromosome inactivation and sex-biased diseases.

Dr. Anguera earned her PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology from Cornell University in 2004, followed by postdoctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School (2004-2012). She maintains active affiliations with multiple research institutes including the Epigenetics Institute, Institute for Immunology, Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Her research program investigates mechanisms of X-chromosome inactivation in lymphocytes and stem cells, revealing that female immune cells exhibit unique epigenetic features on the inactive X chromosome that may explain female predisposition to autoimmune disorders like lupus. Her lab also studies sex-specific differences in placental development using human stem cell models, identifying novel X-linked long noncoding RNAs that regulate immune responses during pregnancy. Recent work demonstrates that Xist RNA deletion in B cells triggers lupus-like phenotypes, providing direct evidence for X-chromosome involvement in autoimmunity.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2019-2025) reveals a strong focus on sex differences in immunity, with recurring themes of X-chromosome dysregulation in autoimmune diseases, epigenetic control of immune cells, and the role of long noncoding RNAs in development. Her work spans basic molecular mechanisms to translational applications in lupus and other sex-biased conditions.

Dr. Anguera serves as an editorial contributor to key publications in her field, including a 2020 Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology editorial on X-chromosome regulation. Her research bridges immunology, epigenetics, and developmental biology to address fundamental questions about sex differences in health and disease.