IMMUNOLOGY AND LYSOSOMAL STORAGE DISEASES
Fátima Macedo, the head of the Immunology and Lysosomal Storage Diseases group, is an Assistant Professor at Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of University of Algarve. She has a Master degree in Immunology and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences both from University of Porto.
Her research group focuses on the field of Lipid Immunology, with a particular interest in the role of sphingolipids in modulating CD1-restricted T lymphocytes, including invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells. A central aim of the group is to uncover how lipid-mediated immune modulation contributes to the pathophysiology of Lysosomal Storage Diseases, particularly sphingolipidoses such as Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency, Gaucher disease, and Fabry disease.
Beyond this specialized focus, the group maintains a broad interest in human Immunology, striving to understand the contribution of the immune system to human pathology. To achieve this, the team employs a combination of fresh human cells, established cell lines, and mouse models to explore immune mechanisms in both health and disease.

Fátima Macedo
Principal Investigator


Core Techniques
Human and mouse cell culture
Flow cytometry
Genetic tools
Models Used
Mouse models
In vitro cell models