Ricardo Ferreira

My overall research interest is understanding the mechanism by which genetic variants associated with the autoimmune disease type 1 diabetes (T1D) contribute to the pathogenesis of the condition.  One of the major goals of my research is to investigate immune alterations associated with the early disease events in T1D with the aim of characterising potential biomarkers that could be used in the clinic to identify the individuals with the highest risk of developing T1D. I am currently working on two main projects: developing a novel targeted single-cell RNA-sequencing technology combining mRNA and protein quantitation, and leveraging single-cell technologies to dissect the heterogeneity of human regulatory T-cell (Treg) populations of interest in autoimmune patients.

My background is in molecular biology and human genetics. I completed my degree in Biology in June 2003 in the University of Lisbon in Portugal and went on to complete a PhD on the genetic basis of human primary immunodeficiency in Tim Behrens’ lab in the United States. I joined the DIL in 2010 and am currently a a senior post-doctoral fellow in the lab.