Marcelo de Souza Fernandes Pereira

My long-term research interests involve a better understanding of immunity cells and how those cells can interact to control pathogenic infections and cancer development. My academic training and research experience have provided me with an excellent and multidisciplinary background including immunology, microbiology, molecular biology. As an undergraduate, I was able to conduct research with Dr. João Santana da Silva on the Modulation of immune and granulomatous inflammatory response during P. brasiliensis infection. During this time, I gained expertise on Human-PBMC cells separation by Ficoll, Monocyte/macrophage culture and stimulation. As a Master student also with Dr. Silva, my research focused on the role of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in a immune protection to P. brasiliensis. During my undergraduate and graduate careers, I was funding by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). Also funded by FAPESP, I got my PhD at Dr. Dario Sim#333;es Zamboni Lab. At this time, my research was focused in a Determination of immune response mechanisms that contribute the control of Legionella pneumophila in a murine model. In 2014, during a short post doctoral training, I had my first experience in Cancer research at Dr. Espreafico Lab. Later in 2014, during my postdoctoral training, granted by CNPq (Program Science without Borders), I moved to US, more specifically at The Ohio State University (OSU) to develop a challenging project, especially considering the short period of time and also, whereas changing the subject from pathogens to cancer field: The role of nutraceuticals on inflammation, tumor progression and metastasis, under Dra. Andrea Doseff supervision. Back to Brazil, in 2017 I joined to Dr. Dimas Covas Tadeus group at Blood Center, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil FUNDHERP. Were, one more time granted by FAPESP, my project was focused on development of a murine models of Leukemia/Lymphoma Lymphoid to assess antitumor effects of CAR-T-CD19 cells. At this time, I was responsible to establish a murine model of Leukemia/Lymphoma Lymphoid that should be reliable and reproducible. At this time, or aim was to tackle CD19+ cells with CAR-T technology specially, looking forward to translational research. Beyond the establishment, this research faces the matters of Leukemia/Lymphoma treatment in Brazil were nowadays the only option is BMT. Now, as part of Dr. Lees Lab at Nationwide Childrens Hospital I will continue to build on my previous training in immunotherapy, tackling pediatrics cancer by using NK cells. Specifically, my focus in Dr. Lees Lab is better understand and overcome hostile microenvironment with CRISPR/CAS9 gene edited NK cells. More specifically, my focus is to better understand how hypoxic tumor microenvironment can interfere in NK cell metabolism. (Source: Lattes Curriculum)