Dr. Deborah Palliser
Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Joined the faculty: March 2007
Previous position: Postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School
Why I Chose Einstein
One of the great things about Einstein is that it’s very collegial. People are interested in your
research and want to work with you.
What I Love About Working Here
It’s very collaborative. Although I have
been here for a short time, I am already involved in various collaborations. My
lab takes part in a joint group meeting, held each week, with other labs from
different departments. It’s a great forum for lab members to present their
work and get feedback. Einstein also has good core resources and is always
looking ahead to provide investigators with the latest technologies required for
their research.
What’s Most Exciting About My Research at the Moment
I work on RNA interference, which is a very hot topic. The 2006 Nobel Prize
for Physiology or Medicine and the 2008 Lasker Prize were awarded for
seminal discoveries in the field of RNAi. There is a lot of excitement in using
RNAi as a therapeutic agent, and results from clinical trials targeting macular
degeneration and certain viral infections are promising. However, RNAi delivery
will be an important determinant for clinical success, and this is something we
are focusing on. When you combine the basic science here at Einstein with
access to a large patient population through the medical school’s affiliated
hospitals, you have the potential to carry out interesting research and see it
tested in a clinical setting.