Bárbara Porto, PhD

  • Portrait of Barbara Porto.

  • Assistant professor

    Max Rady College of Medicine
    Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
    Room 511 – 745 Bannatyne Avenue
    University of Manitoba
    Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0J9

    204-789-3709
    Fax: 204-789-3926
    barbara.porto@umanitoba.ca

 

Research summary

Dr. Bárbara Porto's research program aims to understand the mechanisms of disease caused by respiratory viral infections and discover new ways to treat them. She specifically studies how respiratory viruses, such as RSV and SARS-CoV-2, trigger the death of specific immune cells, called neutrophils and macrophages, and how this cell death affects disease progression. By uncovering these mechanisms, her goal is to find new therapeutic targets that can reduce respiratory morbidity caused by these types of infections. Dr. Porto's research not only has the potential to improve the treatment of respiratory viral infections, but also to provide new insights into the general mechanisms of disease pathogenesis.

  • Research themes

    • Innate immune response to respiratory viral infections
    • Neutrophil and macrophage biology during respiratory viral infections
    • Mechanisms of innate cell death triggered by respiratory viruses
    • Lytic cell death and its role during respiratory viral infections
    • Therapeutic targets for respiratory viral infections

    Research groups

    • Innate Immunity to Respiratory Viruses, University of Manitoba

  • Keywords

    • Keywords

    • Applied toxicology
    • Biological Sciences
    • Disease pathogenesis
    • Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
    • Innate immunity
    • Innate Immunity to Respiratory Viruses
    • Macrophages
    • Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
    • Neutrophils
    • Respiratory Syncytial Virus, SARS-CoV-2

Biography

Dr. Bárbara Porto is an accomplished scientist and assistant professor in medical microbiology and infectious diseases at the University of Manitoba. Her research is focused on uncovering the intricacies of respiratory viral infections, with the ultimate goal of discovering new therapeutic targets to reduce the respiratory morbidity caused by these viruses.

Dr. Porto's passion for science began early in life, as she studied Biological Sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. She then delved deeper into the field by completing her graduate work at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), where she investigated the molecular mechanisms of neutrophil activation triggered by sterile inflammation.

Determined to continue her pursuit of knowledge in the field of innate immunity, Dr. Porto returned to her hometown to hold a post-doctoral fellowship at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, where she focused on innate immunity to respiratory syncytial virus infection. She also served as an adjunct professor at the same university, where she supervised graduate and undergraduate students and taught various courses.

Dr. Porto's research journey then led her to Toronto, Canada, where she held a post-doctoral fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children, where she continued to study innate immunity to respiratory syncytial virus infection. She is frequently called upon as a peer reviewer for high-impact scientific journals and international funding agencies.

As a recognition of her outstanding contributions to high-quality research, Dr. Porto was awarded the Research Productivity Award by the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development in Brazil. She has also received travel awards for major international conferences such as the 15th International Congress of Immunology and the American Thoracic Society International Conference. With her dedication and expertise, Dr. Porto is a leading voice in the fight against respiratory viral infections.

  • Education

    Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2009)

    Master of Science in Experimental Pathology, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil (2005)

    Specialization Course in Applied Toxicology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (2002)

    Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (1999)

  • Awards

    Research Productivity Award, National Council of Scientific and Technological Development, Brazil (2018)

    Travel Award for the 15th International Congress of Immunology (Milan, Italy), National Council of Scientific and Technological Development, Brazil (2013)

    Travel Award for the American Thoracic Society International Conference (San Francisco, USA), Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, Brazil (2012)

Contact us

Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Max Rady College of Medicine
Room 543 - 745 Bannatyne Avenue
University of Manitoba (Bannatyne campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9 Canada

MMID1@umanitoba.ca
204-789-3299
204-789-3926