Catarina Filipa dos Santos Sa e Almeida Melbourne Immunotherapy Network Winter Retreat 2018

Catarina Filipa dos Santos Sa e Almeida

Dr Almeida is a team leader in the Godfrey laboratory at the Doherty Institute and sole chief investigator on NHMRC-funded research ($1M) on "unconventional" T cells, with major focus on NKT cells. She is also the meeting coordinator for the Immunology Theme Meeting Seminar Series (since 2018) at the Doherty Institute and key member of the Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Science Early Career Researchers Network (co-chair in 2018). Dr Almeida has a great passion for science outreach, including acting as the co-chair for the Day of Immunology Public Lecture (since 2024), science translation and policy change. She often collaborates with the teaching department, including the supervision of Honours students, third year research project students, Msc and PhD students. Almeida has more than 15 years of research experience in immunology, including a MSc (University of Lisbon, 2010) and PhD (University of Melbourne, 2015). Her multidisciplinary collaborative studies are revealing a greater diversity than previously assumed amongst CD1d-restricted NKT cells, through pioneering the development of tools that revealed new antigen-targets and subsets. Through industry-funded collaboration, she explored CD1-engagement to modulate immunity. Her research impact includes: Three patents (2 PCT-awarded, 1 prov) as co-inventor through an industry funded collaboration Three grants as Chief Investigator A 19 primary research papers (seven first author) More than 1,950 citations Ten travel awards Scientific engagement at 13 international (three by invitation) and 32 national (one by invitation) meetings.