Journal of Hematology & Thromboembolic Diseases
Open Access

Cristina Joao

Biography

Cristina Joao received her PhD in hematology and now serves as a principal investigator. She is an active member of the Portuguese Group of Multiple Myeloma. She is also the principal investigator of two ongoing Portuguese funded research projects. Joao is currently co-mentoring a PhD student developing studies on Epigenetics on CLL and micro-enviroment (Universidade de Barcelona) and she is also mentor of a master student.

Research Interest

Studying the web of relationships and interdependencies the immune system undertakes. I have been at first studying how B cells and immunoglobulin influence T cell development in the thymus promoting T cell receptor diversification and lymphocyte repertoire shaping and how can that be used to modulate peripheral T cell function. Recently, I have projects examining the role of immunoglobulin as a promoter of a better and faster immune reconstitution. Also, I am developing translational studies that apply to the clinical field the basic research I have been conducting. In this sense, I am studying the effect of B cell depletion, resulted by treatment with biological therapies against B cells, on the immune system. In general, my areas of interests are mainly how to apply fundamental immunological concepts and discoveries to the clinical field, mostly to hematological malignancies and treatment options, mostly in the area of multiple myeloma. Other areas of scientific research are pathogenesis of lymphoid malignancies, immunological responses to cancer and modulation of biological treatments.