Researcher biography

I completed my PhD in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program at the Federal University of Parana (UFPR – Curitiba, Brazil). My PhD research focused on developing new treatments based on chemically modified heparins for preventing melanoma metastatic spread in different experimental models. During my PhD, I also performed an international exchange with Prof. Nicholas Huntington and Dr. Fernando Guimaraes at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI, Melbourne) to elucidate the mechanisms of how these new compounds can impact innate immunity, particularly in activation of natural killer (NK) cells. My current postdoctoral interests at the Translational Innate Immunotherapy Laboratory (TI2) at UQDI focuses on understanding the impact of tumour microenvironment (TME)-mediated regulation of NK cell tumoricidal immunity, and how to take advantage of this new knowledge to model and develop new immune-cellular interventions to fight cancer. My projects now take advantage of multi-disciplinary approaches combining cutting edge molecular/immune/stem cell biology and systems biology to build on and create innovative solutions for complex clinical challenges.