I am a molecular immunologist currently working as a Senior Scientist at Moderna. My research focuses on the understanding of immune response related to viral infections and vaccine development. I’m also interested in the creation of tools and methodologies that help the analysis of the immune response in different pathologies.
Publications
COVID-19
Multimeric nanobodies from camelid engineered mice and llamas potently neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants. BioRxiv 2021
Development of potency, breadth and resilience to viral escape mutations in SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. BioRxiv 2021
Bispecific IgG neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 variants and prevents escape in mice. Nature 2021
Evolution of Antibody Immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Nature 2021
Enhanced SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization by Secretory IgA in vitro. Science Transalational Medicine 2020
Antibody potency, effector function and combinations in protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo. J Exp Med. 2020
Escape from neutralizing antibodies by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein variants. Elife 2020
Longitudinal analysis of serology and neutralizing antibody levels in COVID19 convalescents. J. Infec. Dis. 2020
Convergent antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in convalescent individuals. Nature 2020
Measuring SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody activity using pseudotyped and chimeric viruses. J Exp Med. 2020
HIV Latent Reservoir
Sequence evaluation and comparative analysis of novel assays for intact proviral HIV-1 DNA. Journal of Virology, 2021
Combination of quadruplex qPCR and next-generation sequencing for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the HIV-1 latent reservoir. J Exp Med. 2019
Characterization of intact proviruses in blood and lymph node from HIV-infected individuals undergoing analytical treatment interruption. Journal of Virology. 2019.
Relationship between intact HIV-1 proviruses in circulating CD4+ T cells and rebound viruses emerging during treatment interruption.
Relationship between latent and rebound viruses in a clinical trial of anti-HIV-1 antibody 3BNC117. J Exp Med. 2018
Clonal CD4+ T cells in the HIV-1 latent reservoir display a distinct gene profile upon reactivation. Nat Med. 2018
Paired quantitative and qualitative assessment of the replication-competent HIV-1 reservoir and comparison with integrated proviral DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016
HIV Immunotherapy
Heightened resistance to host type 1 interferons characterizes HIV-1 at transmission and after antiretroviral therapy interruption. Science Translation Medicine, 2021
Combination therapy with anti-HIV-1 antibodies maintains viral suppression. Nature. 2018
HIV-1 antibody 3BNC117 suppresses viral rebound in humans during treatment interruption. Nature. 2016
HIV-1 therapy with monoclonal antibody 3BNC117 elicits host immune responses against HIV-1. Science. 2016
Viraemia suppressed in HIV-1-infected humans by broadly neutralizing antibody 3BNC117. Nature. 2015
HIV bNAb development
Neutralizing activity of broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 antibodies against primary African isolates. Journal of Virology, 2020
A broadly neutralizing macaque monoclonal antibody against the HIV-1 V3-Glycan patch. Elife. 2020
Non-neutralizing Antibodies Alter the Course of HIV-1 Infection In Vivo. Cell. 2017 Aug 10;170(4):637-648.e10
Coexistence of potent HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies and antibody-sensitive viruses in a viremic controller. Sci Transl Med. 2017
Passive transfer of modest titers of potent and broadly neutralizing anti-HIV monoclonal antibodies block SHIV infection in macaques. J Exp Med. 2014
Epigenetics control of immune response in multiple sclerosis (MS) (2009-2013)
A non-functional galanin receptor-2 in a multiple sclerosis patient. Pharmacogenomics J. 2018
Autologous hematopoietic SCT normalizes miR-16, -155 and -142-3p expression in multiple sclerosis patients. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2015
Bone Marrow Transplant. 2015 miR-15a and 16-1 are downregulated in CD4+ T cells of multiple sclerosis relapsing patients. Int J Neurosci. 2012 Aug;122(8):466-71. PMID: 22463747.
Cancer Research (2009-2013)
Highly expressed placental miRNAs control key biological processes in human cancer cell lines. Oncotarget. 2018
Decreased platelet responsiveness to clopidogrel correlates with CYP2C19 and PON1 polymorphisms in atherosclerotic patients. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2017
Placenta-Enriched LincRNAs MIR503HG and LINC00629 Decrease Migration and Invasion Potential of JEG-3 Cell Line. PLoS One. 2016
Simvastatin modulates mesenchymal stromal cell proliferation and gene expression. PLoS One. 2015
Tuberculosis Research (2005-2008)
MicroRNA expression signatures in lungs of mice infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (Edinb). 2016
Antigen-presenting cells transfected with Hsp65 messenger RNA fail to treat experimental tuberculosis. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2012
B cells Can Modulate the CD8 Memory T Cell after DNA Vaccination Against Experimental Tuberculosis. Genet Vaccines Ther. 2011
Intranasal vaccination with messenger RNA as a new approach in gene therapy: use against tuberculosis.BMC Biotechnol. 2010
Genetic vaccine for tuberculosis (pVAXhsp65) primes neonate mice for a strong immune response at the adult stage. Genet Vaccines Ther. 2007
Education
2009-2013 PhD. in Genetics, Sao Paulo University, Brazil
2006-2008 Master in Immunology, Sao Paulo University, Brazil
2002-2005 BS in Biology, Alfenas Federal University, Brazil
Positions
2021- Senior Scientist, Moderna
2018-2020 Senior Research Associate, The Rockefeller University
2014-2018 Postdoctoral Fellow, The Rockefeller University, New York
Youtube – Talks and interviews
Fiocruz Parana
Universidade Federal Fluminense – 1
Universidade Federal Fluminense – 2
Universidade Federal de Alfenas
EMESCAM Vitoria