Our team
Projects and a little about each of us
Sandra Márcia Muxel- Advisor
Sandra M Muxel holds a degree in Biomedicine from the State University of Londrina (2004), a PhD in Immunology from the University of São Paulo (2011) and a Post-doctorate in Immunology from the University of São Paulo (2012-2016). She also completed her post-doctorate at the Center of Excellence in Metabolomics and Bioanalysis (CEMBIO-USP - Madrid, Spain). She currently works as a Laboratory Specialist and researcher in the Department of Immunology of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo. She works as coordinator of FAPESP and CNPq research projects and extension (Biotreco - BiocientistaMirim - USP). His line of research aims to study how non-coding RNAs, microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs act in the regulation of gene expression during the pathogen-host interaction, we explore the role of these molecules in the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of genes involved in the activation of macrophages and T lymphocytes. It also investigates the use of RNA as a vaccine and therapeutic strategy.
Lines of research:
1. Non-coding RNAs: microRNAs and lncRNAs, metabolic and immunological regulations
2. RNAs as a vaccine strategy: mRNA vaccine and leishmaniasis
3. Therapeutic strategies
FAPESP Regular Project: 2024/08802-3 (Coordinator - 2024-2027)
FAPESP Thematic Project: 2024/08360-0 (Principal Researcher - 2025-2030)
Dennyson - Post-doc
Postdoctoral fellow in Immunology at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo - USP. He holds a bachelor's degree in Biomedicine from the University of the Amazon (2019) and a PhD from the Interunit Postgraduate Program in Bioinformatics at the University of São Paulo USP (2025). He worked as a visiting researcher at the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Universitätsmedizin Charité, Germany, in 2024. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Immunology of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of USP (ICB-IV). He has experience in omics data analysis, with an emphasis on single-cell transcriptomics (Single Cell RNA-seq), especially with BD Rhapsody (WTA technology) and 10x Genomics platforms. He also works with advanced statistical analysis, script automation in R, Python, Julia and Shell, in addition to building bioinformatics pipelines. Develops scientific software (such as CytoDeep) and integrates generative artificial intelligence models into computational analyses.
Title of the post-doctoral project: Single-cell RNA sequencing and bulk RNA-seq as tools to understand Leishmania-host interactions.
FAPESP Scholarship - Process: In progress...
Jonathan Miguel Zanatta – PhD Student
Master of Science in the Physiology program of the Institute of Biosciences of the University of São Paulo (USP), where he studied the impact of polyamines on the host-parasite relationship. He is currently a PhD student in the Postgraduate Program in Immunology at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of USP, integrating the molecular biology research group coordinated by Dr. Sandra Marcia Muxel. His research investigates the function of a long non-coding RNA during the infection of macrophages with Leishmania infantum, causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis. Emphasis is on immunology, parasitology and molecular biology.
Title of the doctoral project: Study of the function of the transcription factor HIF-1α and the long noncoding RNA HIF1A-AS3 in glycolytic metabolism in macrophages infected with L. infantum.
FAPESP Scholarship - Process: 22/08700-0
Clara Andrade Teixeira – PhD Student
PhD student at the Department of Immunology at the University of São Paulo (USP), studying the parasite-host interaction in a leishmaniasis model. Her research focuses on the integration of microRNA-mediated signals in macrophage activation, with emphasis on the areas of immunology, parasitology and molecular biology.
Title of the doctoral project: Integration of NLRP12- and miR-294-mediated signals in macrophage activation and susceptibility to infection with Leishmania.
FAPESP Scholarship - Process: 2023/07194-7
Neandro Silva – PhD Student
PhD student in the Postgraduate Program in Immunology at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB-USP). Graduated in Biomedicine from the University of the Amazon (UNAMA) and holds a Master’s degree from the Postgraduate Program in Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents (PPGBAIP - UFPA). Developed experience in Neuroscience, Virology, Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Cell Biology. Currently researches the role of non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, in regulating gene expression during pathogen-host interactions, with focus on immunology, parasitology, and molecular biology.
Title of the doctoral project: Analysis of the function of long noncoding RNAs that regulate the transcription factor NFkB in macrophages infected with Leishmania infantum.
FAPESP Scholarship – Process: 24/06700-2
Ian - PhD Student
Pharmacist from Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), master in Bioanalysis and Medications from the Pharmaceutical Sciences program of the School of Pharmacy of the UFRN, where he studied the immunophenotypic landscape of acute leukemias from a systemic perspective. He is currently a PhD student in the postgraduate program in immunology at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo (USP), where he is also a member of the miRlab coordinated by Dr. Sandra Marcia Muxel. He investigates the functional analysis of long non-coding RNAs in hematopoiesis, focusing on total bone marrow and sorters of progenitor subsets, in addition to the regulatory implications within models of cancer and infectious diseases.
Title of the post-doctoral project: Functional analysis of lncRNAs in hematopoiesis and their implications in immunopathogenesis in models of cancer and infectious diseases.
FAPESP Scholarship - Process: In progress...