Keren D Santanello
Keren received her B.S. in Biology and Chemistry from Emmanuel College before joining the Immunology Department at Harvard Medical School as a research assistant in Dr. Ruaidhri Jackson’s lab, where she studied neuroimmune interactions between enteric neurons and immune cells in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As a BBS student, she was drawn to Dr. Aleksander Kostic’s lab for its microbiome-based therapeutic approach and its focus on harnessing natural immune mechanisms to restore immune homeostasis in autoimmune disease. She is broadly interested in the bidirectional crosstalk between the immune system, nervous system, and microbiome, with her current work investigating how microbiome-derived signals shape immune tolerance and neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis. She also values the lab’s emphasis on scientific independence and mentorship.
Personal Profile
What you enjoy doing outside of the lab?
I enjoy snowboarding, art, singing and playing guitar, flipping thrift store finds, biking, and going on very important sweet treat runs.
What’s your lab survival item?
70% ethanol, because some problems really can be sprayed away.
If your science journey were a movie, what would the title be?
Dazed and Confused, but Persevering.
What is your unofficial lab superpower?
Making a plan when an experiment has absolutely no interest in following the original one.
If you could be any microbe, what would you be and why?
I would be Lactobacillus, because members of this group help make foods like yogurt through fermentation, and being responsible for snacks feels like a solid contribution to society.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
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