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

Structures of Human Antibodies Bound to SARS-CoV-2 Spike Reveal Common Epitopes and Recurrent Features of Antibodies. Cell 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

Neutralizing Activity of Broadly Neutralizing Anti-HIV-1 Antibodies against Clade B Clinical Isolates Produced in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells. J Virol. 2018

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 

 

Contact