Alessandra Granato
Toronto,Ontario
Summary
Skilled Postdoctoral Research Associate with 15+ years of experience in the field of immunology and microbiology research. Bringing diverse experience in high parameter flow cytometry, cell biology, molecular biology, animal models and bioinformatics. Enthusiastic team player with excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandra-granato/
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Research Associate
Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, ON
02.2020 - Current
- Lead role in the design, management, execution, and analysis of quantitative research on the infant gut microbiome and its role as a risk factor for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
- Manage collaborations across departments and institutions. Present data and organize meetings.
- Mentor and train team members to conduct their research projects.
- Supervise and train project coordinators and technologists.
- Manuscript writing and Peer-reviews.
- Recruitment: Research lab staff and Committee Search for faculty position.
- Publications: 4 manuscripts in preparation
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Hospital For Sick Children
Toronto, Ontario
07.2016 - 01.2020
- Lead role in the design, management, execution, and analysis of quantitative research on the infant gut microbiome and its role as a risk factor for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
- Manage collaborations across departments and institutions. Present data and organize meetings.
- Manuscript writing and Peer-reviews
- Publications: 3
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Brigham And Women'sHospital/Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts
08.2014 - 06.2016
- Lead role in the design, execution, and analysis of quantitative research on B lymphocyte development and selection. Research projects aimed to study the role of B cell receptor and gut microbiome-derived signals on B lymphocyte fate.
- Publications: 4
Lead Technologist
Federal University Of Rio De Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
09.2007 - 01.2009
- Technical lead role
- Set up and operated flow cytometry analyzers (BD FACScan and BD FACSCalibur) and cell sorter (MoFlo).
- Train users and technologists
- Provide consulting service on experimental protocols
- Routine maintenance of flow cytometers.
- Organize inventory and schedules.
- Presentations about flow cytometry technology
Teacher
PVNC - Community school for underprivileged students
Rio De Janeiro, RJ
09.2001 - 08.2004
- Teach biology classes in the preparatory course for college/university entrance exams in underprivileged communities
Education
Ph.D. - Microbiology And Immunology.
Federal University Of Rio De Janeiro
Rio De Janeiro, BrasilPhD International Training - Lymphopoiesis And Immunology
Pasteur Institute
Paris, FranceMaster of Science - Immunology And Parasitology
Federal University Of Rio De Janeiro
Rio De Janeiro, Brasil.Bachelor of Science - Genetics And Parasitology
Federal University Of Rio De Janeiro
Rio De Janeiro, BrasilSkills
- Collaboration: Active Listening, Presentations, Team meetings, Peer reviews, Mentorship, External collaborations
- Organization: Human and mouse samples inventory using FileMaker Pro software, lab operations
- High parameter flow cytometry: Highly skilled in multi-parameter analysis, cell sorting and data analysis using FlowJo and Summit software Application of analytical cytometry to analysis of mouse cells, human cells, bacteria and complex microbial populations
- Cell Biology: Highly skilled in primary cell culture including human and mouse hematopoietic cells, cell lineages, protozoa parasites and bacteria; 3D cell culture of mouse intestinal organoids
- Animal models: Generation and phenotyping of genetically modified mouse models Germ-free and experimentally colonized mouse models Mouse tissue harvest, genotyping, treatment protocols, such as ip, iv, sc injections, oral gavage, cardiac puncture, pancreatic islets purification
- Molecular Biology: Transfection and viral transduction, RNA expression quantification (qPCR), High-throughput DNA sequencing, RNA and DNA purification, amplification, sequencing
- Protein Biology: ELISA, immunoblotting and other standard techniques
- Bioinformatics: Intermediate R programming, Multivariate statistical analysis using R studio and Prism software
Accomplishments
- 2018: Post-doctoral research fellowship. LiUNA! Fellowship for Research Innovation via the Restracomp Fellowship program at Hospital for Sick Children. $80,000 CAD (2 years).
- 2014: International Post-doctoral research fellowship. Science Without Borders Program via the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq). $50,000 USD (1.5 years).
- 2012: Award of poster presentation. Honorable mention in the category of Ph.D. students at the XXXVII Congress of the Brazilian Society for Immunology.
- 2011: Travel award. International School of Immunology. Portuguese Society for Immunology. $1,000 EUR.
- 2010 : Research Training fellowship. International exchange program via the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq). $18,000 EUR (1 year).
- 2010: Award of oral presentation. BD Biosciences SBI Researcher award at the XXXV Congress of the Brazilian Society for Immunology. $20,000 BRL.
- 2009: Doctoral research fellowship. Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq). $106,000 BRL (4 years).
- 2005: Master research fellowship. Coordination of High Education Personnel Training (CAPES). $29,000 BRL (2 years).
- 2005: Award of poster presentation. Honorable mention at the XX Annual Meeting of Federation of Experimental Biology Societies (FESBE).
- 2002: Undergraduate research fellowship. Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq). $11,000 (3 years).
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
1. Barbosa CD, Canto FB, Gomes A, Brandao LM, Lima JR, Melo GA, Granato A, Neves EGA, Dutra WO, Oliveira AC, Nóbrega A, Bellio M. Cytotoxic CD4+ T cells driven by T-cell intrinsic IL-18R/MyD88 signaling predominantly infiltrate Trypanosoma cruzi-infected hearts. Elife. 2022 Jun 7;11:e74636.
2. Cavalcanti De Albuquerque R., Granato A. , Silva Castro I., Carvalho Torres R., Santos Souza F., Lima M.A., Celestino Bezerra Leite A.C., de Melo Espíndola O., Echevarria-Lima J. Phenotypic and functional changes in gamma delta T lymphocytes from HTLV-1 carriers. J Leukoc Biol. 2019 Sep;106(3):607-618.
3. Baptista B.J.A., Granato A. , Canto F.B., Montalvão F., Tostes L., de Matos Guedes H.L., Coutinho A., Bellio M., Vale A.M., Nobrega A. TLR9 Signaling Suppresses the Canonical Plasma Cell Differentiation Program in Follicular B Cells. Front Immunol. 2018 Nov 28;9:2281.
4. Chen Y., Chaudhary N., Yang N., Granato A. , Turner J.A., Howard S.L., Devereaux C., Zuo T., Shrestha A., Goel R.R., Neuberg D., Wesemann D.R. Microbial Symbionts Regulate the Primary Ig Repertoire. J Exp Med. 2018 May 7;215(5):1397-1415.
5. Silver J., Zuo T., Chaudhary N., Kumari R., Tong P., Giguere S., Granato A. , Donthula R., Devereaux C., Wesemann D.R. Stochasticity enables BCR-independent germinal center initiation and antibody affinity maturation. J Exp Med. 2018 Jan 2;215(1):77-90.
6. Linhares-Lacerda L, Granato A , Gomes-Neto JF, Conde L, Freire-de-Lima L, de Freitas EO, Freirede-Lima CG, Coutinho Barroso SP, Jorge de Alcântara Guerra R, Pedrosa RC, Savino W, Morrot A.. Circulating plasma MicroRNA-208a levels as apotential biomarker of Chronic indeterminate phase of Chagas disease. Front Microbiol. 2018 Mar 6;9:269.
7. Tong, P.*, Granato, A.* , Zuo, T. , Chaudhary, N., Zuiani, A., Han, S. S., Donthula, R. , Shrestha, A. , Sen, D. , Magee, J. M., Gallagher, M. P. , Van der Poel, C. E. , Carrol, M. C. , Wesemann, D. R. IgH isotype-specific B cell receptor expression influences B cell fate. PNAS, v. 201704, p. 201704962-201704962, 2017.* Co- first authors.
8. Oliveira, A., Gomes-Neto, J. F., Barbosa, C. D., Granato, A. , Reis, B. S , Santos, B. M., Fucs, R. , Canto, F. B. , Nakaya, H. I. , Nobrega, A., Bellio, M. Crucial role for T cell-intrinsic IL-18R-MyD88 signaling in cognate immune response to intracellular parasite infection. eLife, v. 6, p. e30883-, n. 2017.
9. Peixoto, R.J.M. , Alves, E. S. , Wang, M. , Ferreira, R B. R. , Granato, A. , Han, J. , Gill, H. , Jacobson, K. , Lobo, L.A. , Domingues, R. M. C. P. , Borchers, C. H. , Davies, J. E. , Finlay, B. B. , Antunes, L. C. M. Repression of Salmonella host cell invasion by aromatic small molecules from the human fecal metabolome. Applied and Environmental Microbiology v. 83, p. AEM.01148-17-e01148-17, n. 2017.
10. Peixoto, R.J.M. , Miranda, K.R. , Lobo, L.A. , Granato, A. , De Carvalho Maalouf, P. , De Jesus, H.E. , Rachid, C.T.C.C , Moraes, S.R. , Dos Santos, H.F. , Peixoto, R.S. , Rosado, A. S. , Domingues, R. M.C.P. Antarctic strict anaerobic microbiota from Deschampsia antarctica vascular plants rhizosphere reveals high ecology and biotechnology relevance. Extremophiles, v. 20, p. 875-884, n. 2016.
11. Do Canto F.B., Campos S.M., Granato A. , da Silva R.F., de Paiva L.S., Nóbrega A.,Bellio M., Fucs R. Enlarged colitogenic T cell population paradoxically supports colitis prevention through the B-lymphocyte dependent peripheral generation of CD4(+)Foxp3(+) Treg cells. Sci Rep. 6: 28573. 2016.
12. Granato, A. , Chen, Y., Wesemann, D. Primary immunoglobulin repertoire development: time and space matter. Current Opinion in Immunology, v. 33, p. 126-131, 2015.
13. Granato, A.* , Hayashi, E. A.*, Baptista, B.J.A., Bellio, M., Nobrega, A. IL-4 regulates Bim expression and promotes B cell maturation in synergy with BAFF conferring resistance to cell death at negative selection checkpoints. The Journal of Immunology v.192, p.5761-75, 2014.
14. Pereira de Sousa, A., Berthault, C., Granato, A. , Dias, S., Ramond, C., Kee, B. L., Cumano, A., Vieira, P. Inhibitors of DNA Binding Proteins Restrict T Cell Potential by Repressing Notch1 Expression in Flt3-Negative Common Lymphoid Progenitors. The Journal of Immunology, v.189, p.3822 - 3830, 2012.
15. Vale, A.M., Foote, J.B., Granato, A., Zhuang, Y., Pereira, R.M.S., Lopes, U.G., Bellio, M., Burrows, P.D., Schroeder, H.W., Nobrega, A. A rapid and quantitative method for the evaluation of V gene usage, specificities and the clonal size of B cell repertoires. Journal of Immunological Methods, v.376, p.143 - 149, 2012.
16. Vale, A. M., Hayashi, E., Granato, A. , Schroeder, H. W., Bellio, M., Nobrega, A. Genetic control of the B cell response to LPS: opposing effects in peritoneal versus splenic B cell populations. Immunogenetics (New York), v.62, p.41 - 48, 2010.
17. Hayashi, E. A., Granato, A ., Paiva, L. S., Bertho, A. L., Bellio, M., Nobrega, A. TLR4 Promotes B Cell Maturation: Independence and Cooperation with B Lymphocyte-Activating Factor. The Journal of Immunology v.184, p.4662 - 4672, 2010.
18. Scharfstein, J., Schmitz, V., Svensjo, E., Granato, A ., Monteiro, A.C.S. Kininogens Coordinate Adaptive Immunity through the Proteolytic Release of Bradykinin, an Endogenous Danger Signal Driving Dendritic Cell Maturation. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology v. 66, p. 128-136, 2007.
19. Monteiro, A.C.S., Schmitz, V., Morrot, A., Barros Arruda, L., Nagajyothi, F., Granato, A ., Pesquero, J.B., Muller-Esterl, W., Tanowitz, H.B., Scharfstein, J. Bradykinin B2 Receptors of dendritic cells, acting as sensors of kinins proteolytically released by Trypanosoma cruzi, are critical for the development of protective type-1 responses. PLoS Pathogens, v.3, p.1730 - 1744, 2007
Mentorship
2020 - current Anthony Wong. Hospital for Sick Children. Project coordinator.
2020 - 2022 Marie Perry. Hospital for Sick Children. Doctoral student.
2018 - current Tiffany Kong. Hospital for Sick Children. Doctoral student.
2019 Laney Beaulieu. Hospital for Sick Children. Undergraduate summer research student.
2019 Kimberly Gayle. Hospital for Sick Children. Undergraduate summer research student.
2019 Alina Chalanuchpong. Hospital for Sick Children. Undergraduate research co-op student.
2017 Kate MacDonald. Hospital for Sick Children. Undergraduate research co-op student.
2015- 2016 Rakesh Dontula, MD. Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Medical doctor Research training.
2014-2015 Akritee Shrestha, BS. Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Technologist.
2013-2014 Eduardo Alves. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Undergraduate research student.
2010-2011 Sandra Reis. Pasteur Institute. International exchange undergraduate research student.
Timeline
Research Associate
Hospital for Sick Children
02.2020 - Current
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Hospital For Sick Children
07.2016 - 01.2020
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Brigham And Women'sHospital/Harvard Medical School
08.2014 - 06.2016
Lead Technologist
Federal University Of Rio De Janeiro
09.2007 - 01.2009
Teacher
PVNC - Community school for underprivileged students
09.2001 - 08.2004
Ph.D. - Microbiology And Immunology.
Federal University Of Rio De Janeiro
PhD International Training - Lymphopoiesis And Immunology
Pasteur Institute
Master of Science - Immunology And Parasitology
Federal University Of Rio De Janeiro
Bachelor of Science - Genetics And Parasitology
Federal University Of Rio De Janeiro