Pedro Melo

Pedro joined LBEP as a Postdoc in February 2024 to pursue his interests in the Immunology of Host-pathogen interactions. He obtained his Undergraduate and Master’s degree in Biochemistry at the University of Porto, Portugal, where he studied the protective effect of maternal vaccination against neonatal infections by Staphylococcus aureus and Group B Streptococcus. He subsequently pursued his PhD in Basic and Applied Biology (GABBA program), focusing on the role of actin cytoskeleton regulators in the morphology and function of microglia, the resident innate immune cells of the central nervous system. It was there that he discovered a passion for microscopy and the use of computer programming in the analysis of biological data. This led to a Postgraduate course in Data Science at the University of Porto and a keen interest in using a blend of wet and dry lab approaches to study the interplay between infectious organisms and their hosts.

His current project focuses on the discovery and characterization of Staphylococcus aureus adaptation strategies to the avian host, with emphasis on innate immune cell evasion and survival mechanisms.

In his free time, Pedro enjoys reading, watching plays, hiking and travelling.