Oscar Murillo Gomez

I began my career with bachelor’s degree in biology. During this time, I was first introduced to immunology field. The beautifully orchestrated immune response that develops after pathogen encounter and collaboration of various immune cells to destroy invading pathogens deepened my interest in this field. I enrolled in Ph.D program at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil where my immunological research focused on studying recrudescence in gestational malaria. I demonstrated novel role of the dendritic cells (DCs) in the recrudescence in the malaria in pregnancy. I found that DCs in the non-pregnant mice harbor P. berghei and can maintain this parasite and pregnancy leads to the recrudescence. I further found that DC’s from chronically plasmodium infected mice demonstrated diminished activation profile, functional defects and possible evidence of enhanced cell death. In another related project, I found that plasmodium infection during pregnancy promotes placental changes leading to drop in the progesterone levels. This event leads to dysregulation of DC response leading to increased severity of malaria infection. During my Ph.D tenure, I also set up many collaborations in multiple projects which resulted in 15 publications in the peer reviewed immunology journals.

Between 08/2018 to 02/2023 I did my post doctorate research training in Dr. Mulik’s lab at University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, I focused on understanding how natural killer (NK) cells develop memory like phenotype after virus infection. In this pursuit, we found that NK cells also display stem cell like properties which improved their antiviral capacity. These findings were published in PloS Pathogens. Additionally, I evaluated the CD226 role in stem-like NK cells against Mycobacterium, the results were published in Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022.

Since 03/2023 I got a Research Associate Scientist position in Dr. Israelow’s Lab at Yale University in the Internal Medicine Department of School Medicine, in this time I am developing vaccine models and profiling immunological responses again mRNA and saRNA vaccines, additionally I am focused on understanding how the innate immunity and the memory of T cells and B cells response is generating again SARS-CoV2, Influenza A virus, HCV. On the other hand, I am developing aerosol transmission model to understand the main immunological cells involved in the transmission blockage.

I have mastered several techniques and methodologies. Those include sorting of immunological cells, adoptive transfer into mice, animal experiments, genome wide chromatin accessibility analysis using ATAC-seq and research experience in the signaling pathways. More importantly, I have directly worked on viral models as well as BSL3 pathogens and I am versed with the T cell assays as well as mouse models of virus infection.

Additionally, my research training and collaboration in different projects have allowed me to learn wide variety of techniques and methodologies such as:

1. Molecular biology techniques: Primer design, real time PCR (TaqMan, SYBR green, Scorpion), conventional and nested PCR, cloning, transfection, library preparation for ATAC-seq, fragment and deep sequencing, DNA sequencing analysis, plasmid constructs and purification of recombinant proteins, molecular docking, western blotting, and mRNA and saRNA vaccine designing.
2. Cellular and molecular immunology techniques: Cytometric Bead Array, Flow cytometry (Cytek® Aurora System, BD Symphony, LSRFortessa X20 cytometer, BD Fortessa RLS, BD FACSCalibur, BD FACS Canto, BD Accuri, BD FACS ARIA II and Millipore Guava), imagen cytometry (Millipore Amnis), bioluminescence techniques “in vivo”, sorting of immunological cells, lymphoproliferation assays with CFSE and CTV labeling, adoptive transfer of cells into mice, DC differentiation, macrophage differentiation, phagocytosis assays, confocal microscopy, immunohistochemistry and ELISA. BSL3 training and certification for culture cells.
3. Animal models: Animal husbandry of BALB/c, BALB/c nude, C57BL/6 (multiple knockout), and CBA mice, and Hamsters, different routes of drug administration in mice (Peritoneal, subcutaneous, intravenous), anesthesia administration (inhalation: Halothane, Isoflurane and CO₂; injectable: Xylazine/Ketamine). Expertise in mouse models of pregnancy. BSL3 certification for animal and BSL2 animals’ models
4. Other techniques: Histopathological examination of spleen, brain and placenta stained with H&E. genotyping, karyotyping, allelic frequencies and genetic phenotyping, population genetic analysis.
5. Strategic management: Project design, project review, financial project design, preparation of new and revised IACUC protocols for the lab, financial administration and purchasing of materials and equipment, among other functions related to project administration.