Maria Fernandes, PhD - Universite Laval

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Maria Fernandes, PhD - Universite Laval

Dr. Maria Fernandes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology-Infectiology and Immunology, at the Laval University School of Medicine, and a member of the Infectious Diseases and Immunology Axis of the CHUQ Research Center, CHUL Pavilion.

The overall goal of the research in Dr. Fernandes’s laboratory is to further understanding of the role of inhibitory receptors in the immunopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and gout using a multidisciplinary approach. Her laboratory is also involved in the development of a new anti-inflammatory drug for patients with contraindications to currently used medications.

Dr. Fernandes’s research revealed that the C-type lectin receptor known as Clec12A is involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and gout. This discovery provides insight into one of the mechanisms through which the immune system is deregulated in these diseases. Her current working hypothesis is that in gout and rheumatoid arthritis, the Clec12A inhibitory pathway is not fully functional, causing myeloid cells to be more easily activated. The results of our research will also shed light onto the dysregulation of the immune system in other chronic inflammatory diseases since CLEC12A seem to be involved in various pathologies.