Carolina Prado

Biography

In 2004 Carolina Prado began her undergraduate studies at the Universidad de Santiago de Chile and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry in 2008. After performing thesis work about the study of pathogen-host interaction between the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and dendritic cells with Dr. Alexis Kalergis at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, she was awarded her title of Biochemist by the Universidad de Santiago de Chile in 2009.

Dr. Prado performed her PhD work in the Laboratory of Neuroimmunology with Dr. Rodrigo Pacheco at the Fundación Ciencia y Vida. Her thesis work was about the role of dopamine as modulators of adaptive immune cells function and their relevance in the development of a central nervous system autoimmunity. She obtained her PhD degree in 2013.

In late 2013 Dr. Prado continued her postdoctoral training in the Laboratory of Neuroimmunology at the Fundación Ciencia y Vida. During this period, she studied the role of Dopamine receptor D3 in B cells and their involvement in a murine model of Multiple Sclerosis and in the use of lentiviral vector for the development of gene therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

In 2019 Dr. Prado started as head of the Laboratory of Autoimmunity in the Fundación Ciencia & Vida. Her line of research is focused on microbial metabolites-mediated mechanisms involved in regulation of autoimmune diseases. Currently, the Laboratory of Autoimmunity is studying the involvement of Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-mediated immune communications in the context of a central nervous system autoimmunity.