Curriculum PDF File

Our research area focuses on understanding the mechanisms that modulate the immune system, involving the regulation of specific functions that can either activate or suppress them. These mechanisms have evolved in many pathogens as strategies to evade the immune response. However, they also play a crucial role in various diseases where the immune-inflammatory aspect serves a critical function, such as in obesity. In this condition, a state of chronic inflammation develops, playing a pivotal role in the metabolic dysfunction associated with obesity, often linked to the development of type II diabetes. Our most recent research is centered on investigating the role of a receptor whose expression in adipose tissue increases in response to overnutrition conditions. We examine how this receptor influences the processes of adipose tissue remodeling, glycemic homeostasis, and inflammation associated with obesity.

The research proposals for thesis projects include: i) identifying the physiological ligand of an immunoreceptor whose expression increases in adipose tissue under conditions of obesity (please refer to the 'Research Areas' section) and analyzing the signal cascade it triggers; ii) studying the immunomodulatory role of the receptor and its impact on the insulin resistance condition that precedes the development of type II diabetes. During the thesis work, students will have the opportunity to learn various techniques, including: isolation of monocytes from peripheral blood, gene silencing, flow cytometry, gel electrophoresis, western blot, immunoprecipitation, qRT-PCR from RNA isolated from cells and tissues, ELISA assays, and immunohistochemistry.