Dr. Ramaglia received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Bologna in Italy. After completing a Master of Science degree at the University of Toronto, she obtained her PhD from the University of Amsterdam and completed postdoctoral training at the Netherlands Brain Bank and the Complement Biology Group at Cardiff University in the UK. She is the recipient of several awards, including the Government of Canada Award for International Studies, the Connaught Scholarship from the University of Toronto, and the Wellcome Trust Value in People Award. Her research on the role of the complement system in nerve trauma led to a patent and the founding of a pharmaceutical company that develops complement inhibitors to treat neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. As a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Immunology at the University of Toronto, she investigated how the adaptive immune system contributes to brain pathology in multiple sclerosis. In her role as a Scientist at the Krembil Brain Institute, Dr. Ramaglia leads a research program aimed at uncovering new roles for the complement system in the brain during health, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

 

Dr. Ramaglia is a neuroimmunologist with expertise on the role of the complement system in the brain. For many years, the brain was thought to be ‘sealed’ from the rest of the body’s immune system. We now appreciate that communication between immune cells and brain-resident cells is not a one-way street; we have learned that specialized pockets in the brain are not immunoprivileged; and we know that immune components can even be produced by brain-resident cells. For instance, key immune proteins known as ‘complement’ are produced by brain-resident cells and can be activated within the brains of people with autoimmune or neurodegenerative diseases. However, the triggers and consequences of complement activation in the brain are not fully understood. On one hand complement may help clear cellular debris while on the other hand it could promote neuroinflammation and drive disease progression. Dr. Ramaglia’s research goal is to uncover new roles for complement in the brain during health, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, particularly in the context of multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury. Her approach integrates analyses of post-mortem human brain tissue, biofluids from living patients, and functional studies in animal models, offering a powerful platform to understand and treat immune-mediated brain pathology.

Related Links

For a list of Dr. Ramaglia's publications, please visit PubMed, Scopus, or ORCID.

Scientist, Krembil Research Institute (Krembil)

Assistant Professor, Department of Immunology, University of Toronto