Silvia B. Ramos, MD, MS, PhD

EMAIL: sramos@med.unc.edu

PERSONAL WEBSITE: https://ramoslab.web.unc.edu/

PUBLICATIONS: Publications Link

MENTORS: Undergraduate Students, Medical Students

The research in the Ramos lab is focused on RNA-binding proteins and their physiopathological roles in vivo. Dr. Ramos has a broad medical and biochemical background, with specific training and expertise in RNA-binding proteins and the creation of genetically-engineered mouse models. From the biochemical perspective, the lab aims to identify novel mRNA targets for RNA-binding proteins and from the medical point of view, we aim to mechanistically understand how RNA binding proteins are involved in pathological condition. Dr Ramos is PI who has co-Investigator and Key Personnel roles on university- and NIH-funded grants. She laid the groundwork for examining the role of ZFP36L2 in vivo and has made several key findings during a NIH K08 award (2012-2017). She has unveiled the role of ZFP36L2 in early embryo development and infertility. Since then, she has expanded to other projects such as to the structural basis of ZFP36L2-mRNA interactions and to other physiological contexts in which ZFP36L2 has a crucial role, such as in T cells and spleen function. These broader directions in understanding how ZFP36L2 functions has developed thanks to UNC being a hub for RNA biochemistry fostering internal and outside collaborations that resulted in several peer-reviewed publications.