Federal University of Minas Gerais | Brazil
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Helton Santiago is a distinguished immunologist whose career bridges clinical research, infectious disease immunology, and vaccine development. He earned his medical degree followed by a master’s and Ph.D. in Immunology of Infectious Diseases, later completing advanced postdoctoral training in leading U.S. institutions, where he deepened his expertise in parasitic diseases, allergy, and immune regulation. Over the years, he has held key academic and research positions, including roles at renowned universities and national research institutes, contributing to major programs in dengue, Zika, COVID-19, helminth infections, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis. His experience spans directing clinical trials, leading Phase I–III vaccine studies, developing early-stage vaccine candidates, and conducting translational research on regulatory T cells, cytokines, biomarkers, allergy, inflammation, and cancer immunology. His scientific leadership is reflected in service on ethics committees, biosafety boards, IRBs, and clinical trial oversight groups. Dr. Santiago’s innovative contributions have earned multiple national and international awards, including recognitions for medical innovation, scientific merit, and outstanding doctoral research. His work continues to advance understanding of immune mechanisms and support the development of groundbreaking vaccines and therapeutic strategies, reinforcing his role as a prominent figure in global immunology and translational medicine.
Featured Publications
Bafica, A., Santiago, H. C., Goldszmid, R., Ropert, C., Gazzinelli, R. T., & Sher, A. (2006). “TLR9 and TLR2 signaling together account for MyD88-dependent control of parasitemia in Trypanosoma cruzi infection” in The Journal of Immunology.
Diemert, D. J., Pinto, A. G., Freire, J., Jariwala, A., Santiago, H., Hamilton, R. G., Periago, M. V., Loukas, A., Tribolet, L., Mulvenna, J., Correa-Oliveira, R., Hotez, P. J., & Bethony, J. M. (2012). “Generalized urticaria induced by the Na-ASP-2 hookworm vaccine: implications for the development of vaccines against helminths” in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Canesso, M. C. C., Lemos, L., Neves, T. C., Marim, F. M., Castro, T. B. R., Veloso, É. S., Queiroz, C. P., Ahn, J., Santiago, H. C., Martins, F. S., Alves-Silva, J., Ferreira, E., Cara, D. C., Vieira, A. T., Barber, G. N., Oliveira, S. C., & Faria, A. M. C. (2018). “The cytosolic sensor STING is required for intestinal homeostasis and control of inflammation” in Mucosal Immunology.
Dos Santos, P. V. A., Roffê, E., Santiago, H. C., Torres, R. A., Marino, A. P. M. P., Paiva, C. N., Silva, A. A., Gazzinelli, R. T., & Lannes-Vieira, J. (2001). “Prevalence of CD8⁺ αβ T cells in Trypanosoma cruzi-elicited myocarditis is associated with acquisition of CD62L⁻LFA-1⁺VLA-4⁺ activation phenotype and expression of IFN-γ” in Microbes and Infection.
Santiago, H. C., Feng, C. G., Bafica, A., Roffe, E., Arantes, R. M., Cheever, A., Taylor, G., Vieira, L. Q., Aliberti, J., Gazzinelli, R. T., & Sher, A. (2005). “Mice deficient in LRG-47 display enhanced susceptibility to Trypanosoma cruzi infection associated with defective hemopoiesis and intracellular control of parasite growth” in The Journal of Immunology.
Bethony, J. M., Simon, G., Diemert, D. J., Parenti, D., Desrosiers, A., Schuck, S., Fujiwara, R., Santiago, H., & Hotez, P. J. (2008). “Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of the Na-ASP-2 hookworm vaccine in unexposed adults” in Vaccine.