Dr. Sofia de Oliveira is an Associate Professor in Developmental and Cell Biology and Medicine (Hepatology) at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 

Her research program focuses on advancing our understanding of neutrophil biology and inflammation physiology to inform the development of innovative host-targeted therapies. 

Research Focus| A key aspect of her work investigates how systemic chronic inflammation—such as metainflammation and inflammaging—alters neutrophil biology and function in injury, infection, tissue regeneration, and cancer. To study such complex inflammatory scenarios, her lab employs a whole-animal approach using the zebrafish model, allowing for real-time, non-invasive intravital imaging of neutrophil dynamics in vivo. 

As a pioneer in the use of the zebrafish to study neutrophils, Dr. de Oliveira contributed significantly to establishing the zebrafish as a powerful model for studying neutrophil behavior in vivo. Her PhD work played a crucial role in demonstrating how zebrafish can be used to unravel the complex regulatory networks governing neutrophil recruitment to sites of injury and infection. Through her research, Dr. de Oliveira continues to push the boundaries of immune cell biology, with the goal of uncovering novel neutrophil therapeutic targets that could transform the treatment of injury, polytrauma, infection, liver diseases, and cancer in high-risk groups that live with pre-existing inflammation. 

Academic Journey| Dr. de Oliveira earned her PhD under the mentorship of Dr. Victoriano Mulero (University of Murcia, Spain) and Dr. Angelo Calado (IMM-Lisbon, Portugal). Following her doctoral training in Europe, she moved to the United States for a postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Anna Huttenlocher’s lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During this time, she was awarded two prestigious fellowships: EMBO Long-Term Fellowship (2015) and Cancer Research Institute- Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016). These awards supported her expansion into more complex scenarios of inflammation studying the roles of neutrophils and macrophages in Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Liver Disease (MASLD) and liver cancers, including Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and Fibrolamellar Carcinoma.

Impact and Expertise| With 17 years of experience in inflammation research, 15 years specializing in neutrophil biology, and 10 years focused on metabolic inflammation, liver disease, and cancer, Dr. de Oliveira’s work provides critical insights into the interplay between chronic inflammation and immune function. Her lab’s whole-animal approach using zebrafish enables the study of systemic chronic inflammation in a complex, multicellular environment—a feat not easily achieved with other models.

Mentorship and Advocacy| Dr. de Oliveira is also a huge advocate that science is for all. She is particularly committed to being a student and trainee advocate; she believes that promoting and working on the establishment of effective mentorship practices in academia is a responsibility of the new generation of mentors. She serves as Associate Director for Student Support for the Ph.D. Concentration In Clinical Investigation (PCI) program and is an Einstein Mentorship Educator and leads Entering Mentorship Workshops. 

As hobbies, she loves to cook and bake, hike with family, watch movies, and fall asleep in her couch!