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Silmara De lima, Phd
Silmara De lima, Phd
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Dr. Silmara de Lima joined the University of Pittsburgh after serving as a Senior Staff Scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard University. Dr. de Lima’s research focus is optic nerve and retinal regeneration. She first began studying the retina in graduate school as a way to gain more insight into the central nervous system. Dr. de Lima has continued this pursuit throughout her career, combining a background in neuroscience with a focus on oncology and tumor growth.
Dr. de Lima studies optic nerve regeneration through three major projects. She is particularly interested in testing treatments that have been proven effective for other disorders in mice with neuro fibromatosis type 1. She is also investigating treatments in human cells created with an in vitro model using organoids, assembloids, and iPS cells. Additionally, Dr. de Lima studies how axons create a wrap that makes them more adaptable when regenerating by speeding up the travel of electrical currents, a process called myelination.
Dr. de Lima also developed a data analysis technique to study how the optic nerve can regenerate after injury or disease. She led the first study that showed that it was possible for mouse axons in the retina to “regrow lengthy axons, reconnect with subcortical visual targets and improve simple visual behaviors.” She contributed to a study that was the first to show “that regenerating axons from the optic nerve become myelinated.”
Education & Training
Education & Training
Postdoctoral training, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston
PhD in Neuroscience, UFRJ/ICB – Brazil and Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, USA
Master of Science, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Instituto de Ciência Biomédica (ICB) – Brazil
Awards
Awards
Leadership Development Program (LDP) – Society for Neuroscience
Trainee Professional Development Award (TPDA) – Society for Neuroscience
Postdoctural Fellow, Harvard
Postdoctoral Fellowship – National Council for scientific and technological development (CNPq), Brazil
Fellowship for international doctoral internship, (PDSE) - CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Higher Education, Brazil
PhD Fellowship - CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Higher Education, Brazil
PhD in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Master of Science Fellowship – CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Higher Education, Brazil
Masters in Morphology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Bachelors in Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Research Interests
Research Interests
Glaucoma
Neurofibromatosis type 1 – optic pathway glioma
AMD
Retina
Gene therapy
Gene editing (CRISPR)
Tumors and gliomas
In vivo studies
Molecular biology
Optic nerve regeneration
The de Lima Lab investigates neuroprotection and regeneration of cells in the retina responsible for carrying the information perceived by the eye all the way to the brain - the retinal ganglion cells (RGC) - focusing on the disease model for optic pathway gliomas caused by the genetic disorder Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1-OPG). Our aim is to investigate mechanisms that promote survival and regeneration of RGCs and explore therapeutic targets.
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