Manu Rangachari

Manu Rangachari is a Professor at Université Laval in Quebec, Canada, specializing in immunology research with a focus on multiple sclerosis (MS).1 His career has been dedicated to understanding the immunopathogenesis of progressive MS, particularly the secondary progressive form of the disease.1

Academic Background and Career Progression

Rangachari completed his B. Arts Sc. Hons with a minor in Biology at McMaster University from 1996 to 2000.1 He then pursued his Ph.D. in Immunology at the University of Toronto from 2000 to 2006, during which he held prestigious scholarships from the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada.1

His academic career at Université Laval has progressed as follows:

• Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine (May 2013 - May 2018)
• Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine (June 2018 - June 2022)
• Professor (professeur titulaire) (June 2022 - Present)1

Research Focus

Rangachari's research team has developed an innovative mouse model that replicates the relapsing-to-progressive disease course observed in many MS patients.1 This model is significant because it addresses the lack of treatment options for progressive forms of MS, despite recent advancements in therapies for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).1

Key aspects of his research include:

• Investigating male T cells that drive an exacerbated chronic phenotype in MS
• Identifying biomarkers to predict the onset or severity of progressive MS
• Using transcriptional and machine learning approaches to analyze human biomaterials1

Professional Activities

As a Senior scholar of the Fonds de recherche de Québec-Santé (FRQS), Rangachari has protected time for research and trainee supervision.1 He teaches graduate-level courses at Université Laval and other universities, and is proficient in both English and French.1

Rangachari is also active in the scientific community, reviewing for prestigious journals such as Science Advances, JCI, Cell Reports, and Nature Communications.1 He has reviewed funding applications for various national and international organizations, including NSERC, CIHR, and MS Canada.1

His recent activities include participating in MS research symposiums3 and setting up a new line of research on the interplay of cancer with autoimmunity.2