Hanane Touil, Ph.D.

I was born and raised in Algeria, where I completed my undergraduate degree (USTHB). Growing up I used to play with ELISA plates that my mother kept at home, which lead me to question the nature of her research and the functioning of the human body. Being fascinated by the complexity of our immune system and its interface with the brain, I decided to become a researcher. 

I moved to Montréal and pursued Masters degree (Msc) at the University of Montréal, where I investigated how HIV infects the epithelial barrier of the gut. Next, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Amit Bar-Or to perform my Doctoral training between McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania, where I studied the progressive form of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and how the cross-talk between B cells and glial cells propagates inflammation in the brain of patients. 

Currently, I am a post-doctoral scientist at Columbia University where I am conducting a large-scale immunosenescence study to characterize the peripheral immune system in health and MS over the life span. Our goal is to help move towards personalized therapies based on the genetic signature of each patient. 

My mission is to guide young female in science, to encourage them to dream big and work hard to realize their dreams.