Luís Graça

Luís Graça is a Full Professor and Vice-Dean at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon (FMUL), and has led the Cellular Immunology Lab at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM) since 2005. His research focuses on immune tolerance mechanisms in autoimmunity, transplantation, and allergy, with the goal of reprogramming the immune system through regulatory T cells. He collaborates closely with clinical scientists to validate findings.

Education:

• MD, FMUL (1995)
• PhD in Immunology, University of Oxford (2002)
• Postdoctoral Research, University of Oxford and University of Western Australia

Research Interests: Dr. Graça's lab investigates immune tolerance, regulatory T cells, and germinal center reactions in autoimmune diseases, transplantation, and allergy. Recent work elucidates T follicular regulatory cell biology and their role in SARS-CoV-2 immunity. The lab combines basic immunology with translational research to develop tolerance-inducing therapies.

Publications Trends: His 2021-2023 publications emphasize T follicular regulatory cells in autoimmune diseases and viral immunity, with high-impact studies in Nature Immunology and Science Immunology revealing mechanisms of immune regulation in germinal centers and long-term protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Scientific Awards:

• Pfizer Award in Clinical Research (2023)
• Medal of Merit from the Alvalade Municipality (2023)
• Research Excellence Award (2019)
• iMM Innovators, TwinToInfect (2017)
• NEDAI Prize in Autoimmunity Research (2011)
• Young Entrepreneur Award (2010)
• National Innovation Award for Health Technologies (2010)
• Prof. Heimburger Award (2009)

Advising and Grants: Dr. Graça mentors 12 graduate students and secures competitive funding including:

• Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (4 projects, 2020-2026)
• Merck Sharp & Dohme (Crohn's disease project, 2023-2025)
• 'la Caixa' Foundation (vaccine project, 2022-2025)

Labs and Teams: The Cellular Immunology Lab at iMM comprises 20+ researchers including postdocs, PhD/MSc students, and technicians, with international collaborations focused on translating immune regulation discoveries into clinical therapies.