Ernesto Oviedo Orta MD, PhD

Dr. Oviedo-Orta is working as a Clinical Sciences Expert at Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics Siena, Italy, where he works as a medical and scientific advisor supporting new and ongoing projects in Research and providing early clinical/scientific input, and contributing to clinical development plans. Dr Oviedo-Orta received his medical degree (M.D.) from Havana Medical School in Cuba where he also specialized in Clinical Immunology. During the postgraduate specialist training, he engaged in vaccine research related to diverse infectious agents and diseases, including measles and hepatitis C. Dr. Oviedo-Orta carried out his PhD research work in the laboratory of Prof. W. Howard Evans at the Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Wales College of Medicine (Cardiff, UK) focused on the role of gap junction intercellular communication in the immune system. He then moved to work as a postdoctoral fellow and, subsequently, as British Heart Foundation Junior Research Fellow at the Bristol Heart Institute (University of Bristol, UK). His work at Bristol allowed him to gain expertise in the development of vaccines to prevent and treat noncommunicable diseases such as atherosclerosis. He then worked as Lecturer in Immunology at the University of Surrey, where he lead a team of scientists dedicated to investigate the role of the immune system in inflammation linked to atherosclerosis, with a special interest in the discovery of new immunomodulatory molecules to combat cardiovascular disease. During this appointment Dr. Oviedo-Orta continue working on gap junction intercellular communication but with special attention to their role in immune regulation.