Keystone Symposia Fellow Spotlight: Dr. Camila Coelho

By Emma Wabel 

We are proud to feature Keystone Symposia Fellow, Camila Coelho, PhD, MBA, an Assistant Professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in NYC, New York. Dr. Coelho’s research sits at the intersection of fundamental human immunology and global health, redefining how we understand the body's defense mechanisms and catalyzing next-generation therapies for the world’s most pressing viral threats.  

Decoding the Human B Cell Response

Working at the Center for Vaccine Research and Pandemic Preparedness (C-VARPP) at the Icahn School of Medicine, Dr. Coelho’s research interrogates how human B cells recognize pathogens and generate protective antibody responses. By identifying key viral epitopes—the specific parts of a virus that trigger immune responses—Dr. Coelho is working to engineer targeted antibodies to prevent or treat emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

Her current work is particularly focused on Mpox, a contagious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. To strengthen international research efforts on Mpox, Dr. Coelho is a key member of the MPOX Network, a global initiative to foster collaborations that spur innovative developments on human immunology to orthopoxviruses. She also serves on the WHO Review Group for the Poxvirus Collaborative Open Research Consortium (CORC), connecting with Mpox researchers worldwide.

"Current vaccines and therapeutics often provide incomplete or short-lived protection [against diseases]. By defining the precise features of effective human antibody responses, we can design interventions that are broader, more durable, and more accessible globally."

A Champion of Science Accessibility and Global Impact

For Dr. Coelho, the drive to solve these scientific puzzles is personal. Growing up in Brazil, she witnessed firsthand the effects of disparities on healthcare access. This background has shaped her career-long commitment to developing medical interventions that benefit diverse and underserved populations worldwide.

Beyond the bench, Dr. Coelho is a fierce advocate for accessible, inclusive science. Recognizing the language, social, and structural barriers that exist uniquely for international researchers, Dr. Coelho offers free comprehensive editorial revisions for African or Latina women PIs publishing in immunology or infectious disease. She also leads workshops on crafting high-quality research manuscripts for emerging scientists in economically challenged areas of Brazil. By equipping researchers from all backgrounds with the necessary tools to effectively communicate and publish their science, Dr. Coelho empowers an inclusive global initiative for better health.

A Rising Star in Immunology

Dr. Coelho is rising as a prominent voice in the immunology field, receiving significant recognition nationally and internationally. Her recent accomplishments highlight her dedication to the field:

• 2026: Awarded the ASPIRE Award by the American Association of Immunologists (AAI)
• 2025: Named a Rising Star in Science by the Universal Scientific Institute (USI)
• 2025: Featured guest on The Immunology Podcast, discussing memory B cell responses to pathogens.

"Receiving the ASPIRE Award truly means a lot to me and to my team," says Dr. Coelho. "It feels like a recognition of the hard work, persistence, and passion we bring every day as we build our research program, and it motivates us to keep asking bold questions about human B cell responses to emerging pathogens."

Empowering the Next Generation of Scientists

Mentorship has been a cornerstone of Dr. Coelho’s journey. Through the Fellows program, she has worked with her mentor to navigate the strategic complexities of clinical collaborations—partnerships that are key in translating laboratory research into medical breakthroughs.

“Mentorship is essential to scientific growth and to building a strong, inclusive research community. It shapes not only how we approach science, but also how we navigate challenges, build confidence, and identify opportunities.”

In the spirit of mentorship, she dedicates much of her time to empowering the next generation of scientists. In her own lab, Dr. Coelho mentors Black and Latino high school students through the Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE) program, providing early-career exposure to high-level immunology research.

Her commitment to increasing representation in the research field is also demonstrated through her involvement in SINAI4US, an initiative dedicated to providing support to underrepresented groups applying for higher education programs in science and medicine. Dr. Coelho is also a member of the Raising Advancement and Parity for Infectious Disease Researchers (RAPID) program at UCSD, a network that fosters exchange among early-career faculty from groups underrepresented in the biomedical workforce.

Whether she is engineering antibodies or mentoring the next generation of scientists, Dr. Coelho remains focused on a singular goal: protecting people from infectious diseases by harnessing the power of the immune response.

Want to learn more? Visit the Coelho lab website

Follow the Research: #HumanImmunology #Antibodies #EmergingViruses #Mpox

Learn more about: Keystone Symposia Fellows Program