Dr. Tanya Robinson has joined the Department of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of medicine in the Division of Digestive Diseases. A native of Jackson, Dr. Robinson completed her undergraduate and Master of Science degrees at Jackson State University and her PhD in Microbiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She joins us from Houston, TX where she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Here, she answers our questions about coming home to Mississippi and her new position:

Tell us about what you will be working on in your new role.

The focus of my research, under the mentorship of Dr. Sarah Glover, involves understanding innate immune mechanisms in gut inflammation.  Specifically, we are studying a mast cell disorder that affects the GI tract, called hereditary alpha hypertryptasemia (HAT). It is a recently described genetic disorder characterized by an elevated basal serum tryptase associated with an increased copy number of the TPSAB1 gene.

We are meeting you for the first time – what would you like for people to know?

The extensive research experience that I have obtained during my academic training has given me the knowledge and expertise to return to my hometown and make a significant contribution to my community and state in the area of scientific research.

What are you most looking forward to working at UMMC?

Working at UMMC as an early stage investigator in the Department of Medicine will provide me with the research experience, mentorship, and professional growth needed to advance to the next stage of my career as an independent research scientist.