Chatterjea is an immunologist who studies the development of T cells, stromal cell signaling in the bone marrow and the roles of mast cells in the initiation of inflammatory pain. She has previously worked on developing models of bone marrow transplantation and bacterial infection in mice as well as in therapeutic drug development for autoimmune diseases in the research immunology division of Genentech, Inc. Chatterjea is the associate director of Macalester's Program in Community and Global Health and is particularly interested in the development of curricula and programs that bring public health education into the context of undergraduate liberal learning. She likes to explore the use and application of immunological metaphors and frameworks of thought to issues of socio-cultural identity. Chatterjea teaches Cell Biology, one of the courses in the Department's core sequence, as well as courses in immunology and public health. Her recent work includes collaborative explorations in poetry, performance based ways to communicate her scientific interests. Chatterjea was recently awarded a $30K two-year grant from the National Vulvodynia Association to extend Chatterjea's mast cell-pain studies into a vulvar pain model in mice. She received her BA from Holyoke College, and her PhD from Stanford University.