Biography:

Elva Bonifácio Andrade has a degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences obtained at Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto. Her PhD studies focused on the characterization of the innate immune mechanisms leading to neonatal susceptibility to Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infections. As a postdoctoral researcher, she has focused on the development of the first mouse model that recapitulates GBS neonatal infection pathogenesis, with similar features to that described in humans. Her focus now is to use this clinically relevant tool to study the pathophysiological mechanisms directly related to the central nervous system during GBS meningitis.