Barbara Porto PhD

Barbara Porto is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba and a Scientist at the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM). Her research focuses on the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis associated with respiratory viral infections.

Dr. Porto studied Biological Sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. She then completed her graduate work at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), working on the molecular mechanisms of neutrophil activation triggered by sterile inflammation. Back in her hometown, Dr. Porto held a post-doctoral fellowship at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul working with innate immunity to respiratory syncytial virus infection.

In Toronto, Canada, Dr. Porto held a post-doctoral fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children, also working on innate immunity to respiratory syncytial virus infection. Dr. Porto has frequently contributed as a peer reviewer to high-impact scientific journals and international funding agencies. Dr. Porto is a member of the Canadian Society for Virology, the Canadian Society for Immunology, and the Canadian Respiratory Research Network (CRRN).