I am interested in molecular aspects of the pathogen/host interaction biology which are relevant for infection development and maintenance. Also, I am interested in how these can be exploited to improve the management of infectious diseases impact in the public health, such as in diagnosis, clinical/epidemiological research, therapy, and vaccine development.

Ph.D. in Parasitology (Biology of Pathogen-Host Relationship)
Department of Parasitology at Institute of Biomedical Sciences
University of São Paulo, Brazil

B.S. in Molecular Sciences (Biology, Molecular Biology, Parasitology)
Course of Molecular Sciences
University of São Paulo, Brazil

School of Public Health		(2006-2013)
Yale University, New Haven, CT - USA
Associate Research Scientist	(2012-2013)
Postdoctoral Research Scientist	(2006-2012)
Institute of Biomedical Sciences		(1998-2005)
São Paulo University, São Paulo, SP - Brazil
Ph.D. Student Researcher	(2000-2005)
Undergraduate Researcher	(1998-2000)

During my PhD work at University of São Paulo in Lucile Floeter-Winter's lab, we developed a PCR based test to detect and identify organisms of the Leishmania (Viannia) subgenus, which later we adapted to a qPCR test. We have used the test succesfully in samples from sylvatic hosts and human patients. The assay was very well accepted and has been used in other laboratories in Brazil, being one of the 4 molecular tests mentioned in the "Manual for Surveillance of American Integumentary Leishmaniasis" (2007) a publication of the Brazilian Health Ministry.

While working at Yale University in Diane McMahon-Pratt's lab, we developed a murine model of L.(V.)panamensis infection that uses a relatively low number of parasites to establish the infection with chronic disease and induces a similar immune response to the one observed in patients naturally infected with this pathogen. This model has successfully delineated the key role of IL-13 in mammalian host susceptibility to L.(V.)panamensis infection. Further, this model has been used in vaccine studies and in chemo- and immunotherapy research.

We also evaluated the human macrophage response to L. (Viannia) panamensis promastigotes infection by microarray, obtaining evidence for an early inflammatory response in the infection which was not observed in infections with L.(Leishmania) chagasi. As the initial immune response can be crucial to modulate the immune response at the site of the infection these findings illustrate the dynamics of the interactions between the mammalian host and different Leishmania species generating distinct biologic responses from the outset of infection.

Sacred Heart University		2012-2013
Fairfield, CT - USA
Instructor (Adjunct Professor)	(Fall/2013)
Undergraduate Biology and Laboratory Courses
Instructor (Adjunct Professor)	(Fall/2012)
Undergraduate Biology
Institute of Biomedical Sciences		1999-2005
São Paulo University, São Paulo, SP Brazil
Guest Lecturer	(2005)
Undergraduate Biology   (course page - in portuguese only)
Teaching Assistant	(2004-2005)
Graduate: Bioinformatics in Taxonomy
Teaching Assistant	(2001)
Undergraduate: Parasitology
Teaching Assistant	(2001-2002)
Graduate: Taxonomic Methods in Ecoepidemiology
Teaching Assistant	(2002-2004)
Undergraduate: Laboratory Biology
Teaching Assistant	(1999-2001)
Undergraduate: Basic Molecular Biology and Laboratory

(for all publications use as search at Pubmed: "Moreno Castilho t or Castilho TM".)

Ehrlich AK, Castilho TM, Goldsmith-Pestana KJ, Chae WJ, Bothwell AL, Sparwasser T, McMahon-Pratt D. (2014). The Immunotherapeutic Role of Regulatory T Cells in Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis Infection. Journal of immunology, 193(6),2961-70.PMID 25098291.

Castilho TM*, Ramírez C*, Díaz Y*, Tellez J*, Rojas R, Ettinger NA, Tikhonova I, Alexander NA, Hager J, Wilson ME, Lin A, Zhao H, Saravia NG, McMahon-Pratt D. (2012). Human Macrophage Response to L.(Viannia) panamensis Infection: Microarray Evidence for an Early Inflammatory Response. PloS Neglected Tropical Diseases,6, e1866. PMID 23145196. *authors contributed equally.

Jayakumar A, Castilho TM, Park E, Goldsmith-Pestana K, Blackwell JM, McMahon-Pratt D (2011). TLR1/2 activation during heterologous prime-boost vaccination (DNA-MVA) enhances CD8+ T Cell responses providing protection against Leishmania (Viannia). PloS Neglected Tropical Diseases,5, e1204. PMID 21695103.

Castilho TM, Goldsmith-Pestana K, Lozano C, Valderrama L, Saravia NG, McMahon-Pratt D. (2010) Murine model of chronic L. (Viannia) panamensis infection: role of IL-13 in disease. European Journal of Immunology, 40, 2816-29.PMID 20827674.

Savani ES, Nunes VL, Galati EA, Castilho TM, Zampieri RA, Floeter-Winter LM. (2009). The finding of Lutzomyia almerioi and Lutzomyia longipalpis naturally infected by Leishmania spp. in a cutaneous and canine visceral leishmaniases focus in Serra da Bodoquena, Brazil. Veterinary Parasitology, 160, 18-24. PMID 19062193.

Castilho TM, Camargo LMA, McMahon-Pratt D, Shaw JJ, Floeter-Winter LM. (2008). A real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the identification and quantification of American Leishmania species on the basis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 78(1), 122-132. PMID 18187795.

Castilho TM*, Ramírez C*, Díaz Y*, Tellez J*, Rojas R, Ettinger NA, Tikhonova I, Alexander NA, Hager J, Wilson ME, Lin A, Zhao H, Saravia NG, McMahon-Pratt D (2012). Human Macrophage Response to L.(Viannia) panamensis Infection: Microarray Evidence for an Early Inflammatory Response. PloS Neglected Tropical Diseases,6, e1866. PMID 23145196. *authors contributed equally.

Castilho TM, Goldsmith-Pestana K, Lozano C, Valderrama L, Saravia NG, McMahon-Pratt D. (2010) Murine model of chronic L. (Viannia) panamensis infection: role of IL-13 in disease. European Journal of Immunology, 40, 2816-29.PMID 20827674.

Castilho TM, Camargo LMA, McMahon-Pratt D, Shaw JJ, Floeter-Winter LM. (2008). A real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the identification and quantification of American Leishmania species on the basis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 78(1), 122-132. PMID 18187795.

Castilho TM, Shaw JJ, Floeter-Winter LM. (2003). New PCR Assay Using Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase for Identification of Leishmania Species. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 41(2), 540-546. PMID 12574243.