Pilar Alcaide

Pilar Alcaide is a Professor of Immunology at Tufts University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on understanding molecular mechanisms of T lymphocyte trafficking in inflammatory heart diseases, particularly heart failure. She combines immunology, vascular biology, and cardiac physiology to investigate immune-cardiac interactions using mouse models and advanced microscopy techniques.

• Education: Ph.D. and M.S. in Immunology from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)

Dr. Alcaide's lab explores how T cell-endothelial interactions contribute to cardiac pathophysiology, with translational goals toward developing immune-based therapeutics. Key areas include:

• STING signaling in microglial-neuronal interactions
• Myeloid fatty acid metabolism in HFpEF
• CXCR3 blockade for immunotherapy myocarditis

Her work has been funded by NIH grants (e.g., mechanisms of T cell activation in cardiac fibrosis). Notable awards include the ASIP Cotran Early Career Investigator Award.