Zaida Ramirez Ortiz

Zaida Ramirez Ortiz is an Assistant Professor at the UMass Chan Medical School, affiliated with the Department of Medicine within the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. She also holds positions in the NeuroNexus Institute, Immunology and Microbiology Program, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, MD/PhD Program, and Neuroscience department at the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Education:

• B.S. in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
• Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Medical School

Her research focuses on immunology and autoimmune diseases, particularly mechanisms of apoptotic cell clearance, immune regulation via receptors like SCARF1, and host defense against fungal pathogens (e.g., Aspergillus fumigatus). She investigates TLR signaling, inflammasome regulation, and the role of ubiquitin ligases in anti-fungal immunity and intestinal inflammation.

Analysis of her publications reveals expertise in overlapping subfields: autoimmunity (SLE, cutaneous lupus), fungal infections (Aspergillus, Candida), immune signaling (TLR7, TLR9, CARD9), and cell clearance mechanisms (SCARF1, efferocytosis). Her work bridges innate immunity, microbiology, and molecular biology.

Key Collaborations: She works with researchers in infectious diseases, immunology, and neuroscience, including physical neighbors like Raquel Binder and Read Pukkila-Worley.