MEET THE TEAM
TENURE-TRACK ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. de Carvalho is a scientist with broad experience in interdisciplinary immunology. His passion for the field stems from the work done ever since he was an undergraduate student, investigating how obesity impacted immune responses to infections, such as Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria. During his PhD studies at the University of Sao Paulo, he investigated the intricate mechanisms of inflammasome activation by intracellular pathogens. For his postdoctoral training (The Rockefeller University), he decided to learn more about the adaptive immune system, focusing on B cells and long-lived germinal centers. Now, as an independent investigator and head of LIL, he seeks to understand the basic biology of plasma cell longevity. Renan enjoys practicing sports such as soccer, pickleball, tennis (surfing is yet to be learned), and electronic games.
RENAN V. H. DE CARVALHO, Ph.D.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
1) de Carvalho RVH, Ersching J, Barbulescu A, et al. Clonal replacement sustains long-lived germinal centers primed by respiratory viruses. Cell. 2023 Jan 5;186(1):131-146.e13. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.11.031. Epub 2022 Dec 23. PMID: 36565697; PMCID: PMC9870066.
2) de Carvalho RVH, Lima-Junior DS, da Silva MVG, et al.. Leishmania RNA virus exacerbates Leishmaniasis by subverting innate immunity via TLR3-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition. Nat Commun. 2019 Nov 21;10(1):5273. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13356-2. PMID: 31754185; PMCID: PMC6872735.
3) de Carvalho RVH, Andrade WA, Lima-Junior DS, et al.. Leishmania Lipophosphoglycan Triggers Caspase-11 and the Non-canonical Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome. Cell Rep. 2019 Jan 8;26(2):429-437.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.12.047. PMID: 30625325; PMCID: PMC8022207.
POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE
Dr. Purcell undertook her PhD at the University of Melbourne studying antibody responses to viral vaccination of immunologically vulnerable populations, with a particular focus on COVID-19 vaccination of solid tumour malignancy patients. This has led to an interest in uncovering the mechanisms that drive long-lasting antibody immunity, with the goal of informing design of next-generation vaccination strategies for both healthy and high-risk vaccinees. As a bush-loving South African-Australian, outside the lab Ruth will most likely be found hiking the nearest mountain or exploring the wilderness.
RUTH PURCELL, Ph.D.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
1) Zhang W, Kedzierski L, Chua BY, et al. Robust and prototypical immune responses toward COVID-19 vaccine in First Nations peoples are impacted by comorbidities. Nature Immunology. 2023 Jun;24(6):966-978. Epub 2023 May 29. PMID: 37248417; PMCID: PMC10232372.
2) Purcell RA, Theisen RM, Arnold KB, et al. Polyfunctional antibodies: a path towards precision vaccines for vulnerable populations. Frontiers in Immunology. 2023 Jun 27;14:1183727. PMID: 37600816; PMCID: PMC10433199.
3) Aurelia LC, Purcell RA, Theisen RM, Kelly A, et al. Increased SARS-CoV-2 IgG4 has variable consequences dependent upon Fc function, Fc receptor polymorphism and viral variant. Science Advances. 2025 Feb 28;11(9):eads1482. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ads1482. PMID: 40009690; PMCID: PMC11864192.
POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE
Dr. Castro has a bachelor degree in Biomedicine with a M.Sc. in Biochemistry and Immunology from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil), and a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of São Paulo (Brazil). Over the past 13 years, she gained extensive experience in immunology of infectious diseases and vaccinology. During her master's, she worked on developing a vaccine against Chagas’ disease, and in her Ph.D., she designed and developed a COVID-19 vaccine. In both projects, she took the lead in all stages of vaccine development, from design to preclinical trials in animal models. Her main research interests include understanding the mechanisms of action of vaccines and how to improve their efficacy. Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time with friends, sports, hiking and concerts.
JULIA CASTRO, Ph.D.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
1) Castro JT, Azevedo P, Fumagalli MJ, et al. Promotion of neutralizing antibody-independent immunity to wild-type and SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern using an RBD-Nucleocapsid fusion protein. Nat Commun. 2022 Aug 17;13(1):4831. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-32547-y
2) Castro JT, Brito R, Hojo-Souza NS, Azevedo B, Salazar N, et al. ASP-2/Trans-sialidase chimeric protein induces robust protective immunity in experimental models of Chagas' disease. NPJ Vaccines. 2023 May 31;8(1):81. doi: 10.1038/s41541-023-00676-0
3) Dias Assis BR, Gomes IP, de Castro JT, et al. Quality attributes of CTVad1, a nanoemulsified adjuvant for phase I clinical trial of SpiN COVID-19 vaccine. Nanomedicine (Lond). 2023 Aug;18(18):1175-1194. doi: 10.2217/nnm-2023-0122
LABORATORY ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
Kathy is our Laboratory Administrative Coordinator, providing essential support to our lab and the scientific staff. Her responsibilities include assisting with grant preparation, ordering supplies, coordinating equipment purchases and repairs, tracking expenditures, arranging travel and reimbursements, and ensuring compliance with TSRI (The Scripps Research Institute) procedures by navigating institutional forms. She also works closely with other TSRI offices and plans large events as needed.
Her expertise spans grant preparation, scientific terminology, technology proficiency, strong organizational skills, and familiarity with various software programs. She also has experience in website creation, public speaking, and planning and executing large meetings and events. Working both independently and as part of a team, Kathy plays a crucial role in LIL’s organization, ensuring the lab operates smoothly and efficiently.