Lilian Gomes de Oliveira, Ph.D.

Research

In the Kriegstein lab, I will explore how the Zika virus disrupts cerebral cortex development during the second trimester of pregnancy. Babies born to Zika-infected mothers often show reduced head size in addition to neural abnormalities, including a thinner cerebral cortex—the outer layer of the brain responsible for cognitive function. One factor that could contribute to this reduction is the immune system’s production of interferon, an antiviral protein that can also slow proliferation and induce death in the body’s own cells. Now, using advanced techniques such as spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing, I will elucidate the effects of Zika infection—and interferon production—on the survival and proliferation of different cell types present in the developing cortex. I will also determine how cell types unaffected by Zika retain their resilience, findings that could lead to strategies for protecting the developing brain from viral infections and other inflammatory insults.

Mentor

• Arnold Kriegstein, M.D., Ph.D.

Country of Origin

• Brazil