Francesca Di Cara, PhD

Education

Laurea Magistrale (equivalent of North American BSc plus MSc):
University of Naples “Federico II”
PhD: University of Naples “Federico II”
Postdoctoral Training:
•   2007-2009 Norman Salvesen research fellowship at postdoctorate fellowship, University of Edinburgh
•   2010-2014 Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta
•   2015-2018 Research Associate and project manager at the University of Alberta

Research interests

Our research relies on multidisciplinary (genomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, metagenomics, cell biology, immunology) and multi-organismal approaches to dissect immunometabolic signaling linked to chronic inflammation with a focus on neuroinflammation/neurodegeneration, intestinal inflammatory diseases (e.g., IBD) and inflammasopathies. We focus on the role of peroxisome metabolism as an unexplored regulator in cellular and systemic immune responses. Specifically, we aim to define how peroxisomes control lipid signaling in macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, and intestinal epithelial cells to mediate responses to microbial infection and regulate inflammation.

In this respect, we study cells from patients with Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorders (PBD), who have defects in peroxisomal function, and murine models of PBD to investigate how defects in the immune system contribute to the pathophysiology of PBD. On the other hand, we also study PBD’s immune cells to define the cellular requirements for peroxisomes in modulating immune and inflammatory signaling and hematopoiesis.

From this study, we defined the importance of peroxisomes in the regulation of adaptor protein oligomerization in TNF signaling, an inflammatory pathway that, if affected, can cause many inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and IBD. This discovery leads to future studies to define therapeutic approaches that target peroxisomes in inflammatory conditions and goes beyond the TNF signaling.

In another line of research, we explored the importance of peroxisomal ether phospholipids in regulating intestinal inflammation and microbiota-gut-brain communication. Our studies identified many metabolites and neuropeptides that are secreted from the intestinal epithelium and the microbiota during aging, and if altered, are at the foundation of neuroinflammatory conditions that lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. We aim to continue to dissect this axis and the importance of peroxisomes and their lipids to find early disease markers and therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative diseases.

Selected Publications

For a list of publications from the team, please see:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Bo-Ra5cAAAAJ&hl=en

Memberships/Services and Activities

• Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
• American Association for Immunologists
• Canadian Society of Immunology
• Associate member, Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute Member
• Genetic Society of America

Selected awards and honours

• 2026    Distinguished Immunologist Award - University of Manitoba
• 2025    Bhagirath Singh Early Career Award in Infection and Immunity
• 2024    Tier2 Canada Research Chair
• 2022    President's Research Excellence Award - Emerging Investigator
• 2019    Tier2 Canada Research Chair

Website:

https://dicara.wixsite.com/dicaralab