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.