OUR TEAM

Francisco J Carrillo-Salinas, PhD

Technical Associate in the MIT Department of Biological Engineering

Francisco is currently a member of the Tal Research Group at the Biological Engineering department at the MIT. His research is focused on the MAESTRO MIT study and investigates new biomarkers in chronic Lyme and long COVID-19 infections.

Francisco is an immunologist specialized in host-pathogen interaction, with background in Neuroscience, cardiovascular diseases and infectious diseases in the female genital tract. He received his Master in Neuroscience and PhD in Neuroscience from Universidad Autonoma of Madrid, Spain, under the mentorship of Carmen Guaza, where he studied the endocannabinoid system and the therapeutic efficacy of cannabinoid derivatives in experimental models of multiple sclerosis, and the role of gut microbiota in a viral model of multiple sclerosis. Following this, he joined the Pilar Alcaide lab at Tufts University School of Medicine to study the role of gut microbiota alterations in T cell activation and in the progression of heart failure. During the pandemic, Dr. Carrillo-Salinas joined the Marta Rodriguez-Garcia’s laboratory at Tufts University, where he was focused on deciphering the role of neutrophil function and microbiota-derived metabolites in the female genital tract and in prevention of mucosal HIV acquisition. 

He was awarded with an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship (top 1%), and the Tufts Leadership, Education, Advancement, and Diversity (LEAD) Scholarship to study chronic HIV infection in the human brain. In addition, he has been the recipient of the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP) Experimental Pathologist-in-Training (EPIT) Award in 2019 and 2021, ASIP GALL Trainee Scholar Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Research in 2018 and 2020, among others.

Francisco has made one of his personal and professional objectives to be involved in mentoring activities and the incorporation of under-represented groups to STEM fields. He is a faithful supporter of women in STEM and participates in initiatives helping women bridge the STEM gender gap. Currently, he is a co-leader of the Women in Pathology group within the American Society for Investigative Pathology.

His ultimate goal is to become an independent research scientist, while contributing significantly to the novel understanding of mechanisms underlying systemic chronic inflammation and sex differences in immune response, especially during chronic viral infections.

Email: fcarri@mit.edu