Karina Rodrigues Lima

Research interest:

I am part of Nacho Melero’s group, where my research focuses on understanding how inflammation influences cancer development and response to immunotherapy, with a particular interest in liver cancer. Many tumours arise in tissues that are already inflamed, and while inflammation is part of the body’s natural defence system, it can also support tumour growth and limit effective immune responses.

In my current work, I use mouse models to study how specific inflammatory signals shape the tumour microenvironment. By combining defined genetic drivers of cancer with selected inflammatory pathways, I aim to understand how these signals affect tumour progression and whether they influence how well immunotherapies work. Ultimately, my goal is to identify ways to better control inflammation in cancer in order to improve treatment outcomes while reducing side effects.

Background:

I trained in molecular biotechnology and cellular and molecular biology in Brazil, before completing my PhD in Biosciences in collaboration with the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (Brazil) and Massachusetts General Hospital-MGH/Harvard Medical School (USA). During my doctoral and early postdoctoral work at MGH, I investigated how dendritic cells develop and function, focusing on how protein regulation mechanisms shape their ability to activate immune responses. In particular, I studied the role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCHF1 in dendritic cell differentiation and its impact on anti-tumour immunity.