Angela Rasmussen

{{short description|American virologist and researcher}} {{Infobox scientist | honorific_prefix = | name = Angela Rasmussen | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = AngelaRasmussen.jpg | image_size = | image_upright = | alt = | caption = Rasmussen in 2020 | birth_name = Angela Lynn Rasmussen | birth_date =  | birth_place = | death_date =  | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | other_names = | siglum = | pronounce = | citizenship =  | fields = Virology | workplaces = {{ublist|Columbia University|University of Washington|University of Saskatchewan}} | patrons = | education = {{ublist|Smith College <small>(BA, 2000)</small>|Columbia University <small>(PhD, 2009)</small>}} | alma_mater = | thesis_title = Development of a Mouse Model of Rhinovirus Infection | thesis_url = https://clio.columbia.edu/catalog/7723185 | thesis_year = 2009 | doctoral_advisor = Vincent Racaniello | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | spouse = Alexei Krasnoselsky | partner =  | children = | parents = | father = | mother = | relatives = | signature =  | signature_alt = | website = {{URL|https://angelarasmussen.org}} | footnotes = }}

'''Angela Lynn Rasmussen''' is an American virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dr. Angela Rasmussen|url=https://angelarasmussen.org/|access-date=2021-04-27|website=Dr. Angela Rasmussen|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Education and early career == During graduate school, Rasmussen worked in the laboratory of Vincent Racaniello, where she developed a mouse model of rhinovirus infection to better understand the pathogenesis of illnesses caused by the virus, such as the common cold.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Rasmussen|first1=Angela L.|last2=Racaniello|first2=Vincent R.|date=2011-11-25|title=Selection of Rhinovirus 1A Variants Adapted for Growth in Mouse Lung Epithelial Cells|journal=Virology|volume=420|issue=2|pages=82–88|doi=10.1016/j.virol.2011.08.021|issn=0042-6822|pmc=3205939|pmid=21943827}}</ref> In 2008, she appeared as a guest on Racaniello's podcast ''This Week in Virology''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-12-21 |title=TWiV 12: Prions, lemur lentiviruses, RS virus vaccine, H5N1 {{!}} This Week in Virology |url=https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-12-prions-lemur-lentiviruses-rs-virus-vaccine-h5n1/ |access-date=2024-10-20 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2014, Rasmussen was a contestant on ''Jeopardy!'', an American trivia game show.<ref name="lehrer">{{cite news |author1=The Brian Lehrer Show |title=COVID Updates: What Does The New CDC Vaccine Guidance Mean For You? |url=https://www.wnyc.org/story/covid-updates/ |work=WNYC |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Angie Rasmussen |url=https://j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=9147 |website=J! Archive |access-date=7 May 2025}}</ref>

== Research == Rasmussen joined the faculty at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where she worked as an associate research scientist. There, she studied how hosts respond to infectious diseases such as SARS and Ebola.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/01/ask-an-expert-coronavirus-explainer-symptoms.html|title=How Worried Should We Be About Coronavirus?|last=Walsh|first=James D.|date=2020-01-31|website=Intelligencer|language=en-us|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref>

=== Ebolavirus research === During her tenure at University of Washington, she studied the response of mice to ebolavirus infection. The traditional mouse model, derived from a uniform genetic background, dies before the classical symptoms of the disease appear after infection, making it difficult to study the virus's pathogenesis.<ref name=":0" /> In order to study the pathogenenesis, Rasmussen and her team took advantage of a genetically diverse collection of mice, known as the Collaborative Cross, as the subjects of the research. When infecting this collection of mice with ebolavirus, they observed a wide range of disease outcomes, ranging from complete resistance to the virus to severe hemorrhagic fever.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-scientist.com/daily-news/modeling-ebola-in-mice-36517|title=Modeling Ebola in Mice|website=The Scientist Magazine®|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31|archive-date=2020-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807143948/https://www.the-scientist.com/daily-news/modeling-ebola-in-mice-36517|url-status=dead}}</ref> They concluded that the genetic background of the mice, therefore, plays a role in their susceptibility to the virus.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2014/10/30/can-your-genes-affect-your-response-to-ebola-thats-the-case-in-these-mice/|title=Can your genes affect your response to Ebola? That's the case in these mice|last=Feltman|first=Rachel|date=2014-10-13|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref> By understanding which genes in mice affect the course of infection, researchers can better determine which genes make humans more susceptible to the disease—and why some humans die from an infection, while others survive.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-29834687|title=Genes 'play role in Ebola survival'|date=2014-10-31|work=BBC News|access-date=2020-04-01|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/why-do-some-die-ebola-and-others-survive-281157|title=Why Do Some Die From Ebola and Others Survive?|last=Ziv|first=Stav|date=2014-10-30|website=Newsweek|language=en|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref>

Rasmussen continued work on understanding genetic susceptibility with Ebola at Columbia University. There, she identified a gene expression signature that may predict the severity of Ebola infection.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.genomeweb.com/sequencing/ebola-virus-response-signature-emerges-mouse-gene-expression-data|title=Ebola Virus Response Signature Emerges From Mouse Gene Expression Data|website=GenomeWeb|date=11 February 2020|language=en-us|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref> Rasmussen and collaborators have also used human cell lines to investigate the course of infection. Upon infection, ebolavirus first targets macrophages, or white blood cells that engulf and clear away pathogens, which in turn release inflammatory cytokines that recruit more immune cells to the site of the infection to kill off infected tissue. If cytokine release goes unchecked it can lead to a profound inflammatory response—known as a cytokine storm—that can kill off healthy tissue, as is the case with an ebolavirus infection.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Olejnik|first1=Judith|last2=Forero|first2=Adriana|last3=Deflubé|first3=Laure R.|last4=Hume|first4=Adam J.|last5=Manhart|first5=Whitney A.|last6=Nishida|first6=Andrew|last7=Marzi|first7=Andrea|last8=Katze|first8=Michael G.|last9=Ebihara|first9=Hideki|last10=Rasmussen|first10=Angela L.|last11=Mühlberger|first11=Elke|date=2017-05-11|title=Ebolaviruses Associated with Differential Pathogenicity Induce Distinct Host Responses in Human Macrophages|journal=Journal of Virology|volume=91|issue=11|article-number=e00179-17 |doi=10.1128/JVI.00179-17|issn=1098-5514|pmc=5432886|pmid=28331091}}</ref> She and collaborators found that inhibiting the inflammatory response of virus-infected macrophages could be a potential therapeutic target, preventing a cytokine storm from occurring.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170322143226.htm|title=Silence is golden: Suppressing host response to Ebola virus may help to control infection|website=ScienceDaily|language=en|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref>

=== COVID-19 work === Rasmussen's work investigating the heterogeneity in Ebola infections has translated into developing hypotheses around why some COVID-19 cases are worse than others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/why-some-covid-19-cases-are-worse-than-others-67160|title=Why Some COVID-19 Cases Are Worse than Others|website=The Scientist Magazine®|language=en|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref>

She has also been on the frontlines of communication around the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, applying her expertise in correspondence with the popular press to interpret preliminary results around how long immunity to the virus may last, how effective potential drugs may be in treating the disease, and whether biological sex plays a role in the severity of the disease.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/monkeys-develop-protective-antibodies-to-sars-cov-2-67281|title=Monkeys Develop Protective Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2|website=The Scientist Magazine®|language=en|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/26/men-are-getting-sicker-dying-more-often-covid-19-spain-data-shows/|title=Men are getting sicker, dying more often of covid-19, Spain data shows|last1=Mooney|first1=Chris|last2=Rolfe|first2=Pamela|date=2020-03-26|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Peeples|first=Lynne|date=2020-03-30|title=News Feature: Avoiding pitfalls in the pursuit of a COVID-19 vaccine|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=117|issue=15|pages=8218–8221|language=en|doi=10.1073/pnas.2005456117|issn=0027-8424|pmid=32229574|pmc=7165470|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Given the breakneck pace at which preliminary research results have been released—for example, through preprints—she has urged caution in reporting research findings too quickly, without proper caveats, to ensure the public is not misinformed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/here-is-what-coronavirus-does-to-the-body/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214211711/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/here-is-what-coronavirus-does-to-the-body/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 14, 2020|title=Here's what coronavirus does to the body|date=2020-02-18|website=Science|language=en|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref>

== Advocacy == Rasmussen has served on a National Institutes of Health working group on "Changing the Culture to End Sexual Harassment" in biomedical research fields.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://acd.od.nih.gov/working-groups/sexual-harassment.html|title=ACD Working Group on Changing the Culture to End Sexual Harassment|website=NIH Advisory Committee to the Director|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref> She formerly served on the leadership of the organization MeTooSTEM, before stepping down in February 2020 due to concerns with the organization's leadership and allegations of abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/bethann-mclaughlin-metoostem-resignation-harassment|title=The Leading #MeToo Activist Group In Science Is In Turmoil After More Leaders Resign|website=BuzzFeed News|date=22 February 2020 |language=en|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/metoostem-organization-reeling-after-more-resignations|title=Update: MeTooSTEM board members stand by embattled founder|last=Wadman|first=Meredith|date=2020-03-02|website=Science {{!}} AAAS|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref>

== Publications == Rassmussen authors a Substack publication entitled, [https://rasmussenretorts.substack.com/ Rasmussen Retorts].

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == *{{Official website|https://angelarasmussen.org/}} *{{google scholar id|OPx4WUgAAAAJ}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rasmussen, Angela}} Category:Columbia University alumni Category:Smith College alumni Category:Columbia University faculty Category:American virologists Category:Ebola researchers Category:COVID-19 researchers Category:1970s births Category:Living people Category:American women virologists Category:21st-century American scientists Category:21st-century American women scientists Category:American women academics Category:Contestants on American game shows