Neuroimmune Interactions Laboratory faculty

I hold a PhD in IMMUNOLOGY from the University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, where my passion for immunology started. I delved into the intricacies of the immune system, more specifically on the mechanisms of IMMUNOREGULATION during autoimmune diseases, using the EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (EAE) model. My doctoral research, "The phenomenon of oral tolerance and the regulation of pathogenic TH17 cells in the EAE model" under the mentorship of Dr. Luiz Vicente Rizzo, marked the beginning of my academic journey. I had the honor to be a visiting fellow at Dr. Howard L. Weiner's Laboratory, at the Center for Neurological Diseases, Harvard Medical School, when my interest in the NEUROIMMUNOLOGY field and the role of GLIAL CELLS first started. Prior, I earned a bachelor of science (BS) in pharmacy from the State University of Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil, in January 2003.

Postdoctoral Training
My commitment to advancing scientific understanding led me to engage in extensive post doctoral training. From June 2008 to June 2010, I worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the Clinical Immunology Lab at the Department of Immunology, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, under the guidance of Dr. Luiz Vicente Rizzo. I continued my postdoctoral journey at the Laboratory of Immunobiology of Transplantation, Department of Immunology, University of Sao Paulo, from July 2010 to August 2011, and subsequently from August 2011 to December 2013, under the mentorship of Dr. Niels Olsen Saraiva Camara. During my post-doctoral training, I consolidated my research in the NEUROIMMUNOLOGY field, investigating ways by which the BRAIN communicates with IMMUNE CELLS during NEUROINFLAMMATION.

"Astrocytes infected with zika virus in the brain of a fetus Salvador Dali Style" image generated by AI using Dall-e.

Academic Positions:

In 2013, I became an assistant professor of the Department of Immunology at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, when the Neuroimmune Interactions Laboratory was born. In 2018, I became an associate professor in the same department. Those were rewarding and pleasant times, when I had the chance to mentor incredibly bright students, lecture in many immunology undergraduate courses and performed research with passion and commitment. I also held an appointment with the Program of Allergy and Immunopathology of the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 2019, I joined the Scientific Platform Pasteur, USP, one of many Pasteur Institute Affiliates worldwide, as a research assistant. In 2023, I decided to face new challenges. Currently, I am an associate professor in the Department of Neurology at UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA. I am continuing my passions in unraveling the mechanisms of NEUROINFLAMMATION and IMMUNOREGULATION during VIRAL INFECTION and AUTOIMMUNITY.

In 2016, one of the biggest accomplishments was the unraveling of the capacity of an emerging arbovirus, Zika Virus, to cause FETAL MALFORMATIONS. Since then, it has become one of the most dedicated areas of our research in my lab. In 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we also invested in understanding the correlation between SARS-CoV-2 and the brain, focusing mainly on ASTROCYTES.

Educational Activities:
During these ten years as faculty, I have had the privilege of leading various teaching activities and impacting countless students. These activities included directing and lecturing the BASIC IMMUNOLOGY course for undergraduate students at the pharmacy school, directing and lecturing the IMMUNOLOGY and IMMUNOPATHOLOGY courses at the biomedical school, holding a rewarding role in the Immunology PhD program at the Department of Immunology, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. This role allowed me to direct and lecture on topics such as Innate and Adaptive Immunity in the Central Nervous System, and organize advanced seminars of immunology, as well as the discipline Zika Virus: Experimental Models and clinical aspects between 2013 to 2023.

Research Education and Community Outreach:
My commitment to research education etended to my role as the coordinator of the summer school of immunology at the Department of Immunology, University Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 2016 to 2022. The diverse group of undergraduate students were selected from across the whole country, for an immersive one week of immunology seminars and laboratory activities. Many of the participating students developed a passion for immunology from the event, and many beame PhD students. 

I am thrilled to continue my scientific carreer and consolidate my scientific endeavors in the Department of Neurology at UMass Chan. I am deeply committed to advancing the frontiers of scientific knowledge, and I am grateful for the support of esteemed institutions such as the Department of Neurology, Institut Pasteur, and the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). 

Thank you for joining me on this remarkable journey of discovery, where our collective efforts are driving progress in the realms of immunology and neuroimmunology. Together we are forging a brighter future through the power of knowledge and innovation. 

Immuneflourescence of mouse brain stained for microglia (green), astrocytes (red) and cell nuclei (blue), by Wesley Brandao.