Fernanda Novais, PhD
Assistant Professor
Microbial Infection and Immunity
Academic contact
Academic information
- Department: Microbial Infection and Immunity
Research interests
- Immune System
- Leishmania Parasites
- Skin Infections
About
Biography
I am an immunologist whose research focuses on how the immune system responds to Leishmania parasites, the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis. My lab investigates how microenvironmental signals within infected skin influence the development of protective versus pathogenic T cell responses, helping to explain why some individuals experience severe tissue damage while others heal. In parallel, my group studies how Leishmania parasites manage to persist in the body long after clinical lesions have resolved, with the goal of uncovering mechanisms of immune evasion and long-term survival. By tackling both the causes of disease pathology and parasite persistence, I aim to inform the development of targeted, host-directed therapies.
Credentials
Education
- PhD
- Federal University of Bahia/FIOCRUZ-BA, Salvador, Brazil
- MS
- Federal University of Bahia/FIOCRUZ-BA, Salvador, Brazil
- Bachelors - Biological Sciences
- Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
Research
Research interests
- Immune System
- Leishmania Parasites
- Skin Infections