Rita Gomes is an immunologist whose research aims at understanding the diverse roles of innate immune cells in disease. She holds a BSc in Biochemistry and an MSc in Health Sciences, from University of Minho. Rita completed her PhD from University of Porto in 2021, after investigating the biological role of the macrophage protein MS4A4A in pathology, at the Humanitas Research Hospital (Milan). In 2022, Rita joined Dr. Carvalho’s lab at ICVS (University of Minho, Braga) and was granted an ERA postdoctoral fellowship. Her work intended to dissect macrophage immunometabolic mechanisms and genetic factors contributing to aspergillosis.
Currently, Rita is a postdoctoral researcher at Dr. Sophia Maschalidi lab at NOVA IMSB, where she studies the phagocytic clearance of apoptotic cells for better wound healing during primary skin injury repair and upon secondary assaults. She is also working to implement microphysiological models for wound healing investigation. Rita is actively engaged with the scientific community, being part of the ySPI Working Group.