Hernandez Moura Silva

Hernandez Moura Silva

Phillip and Susan Ragon Career Development Professor; Assistant Professor of Biology; Core Member, Ragon Institute; HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar

Hernandez Moura Silva seeks to understand how the immune system supports tissue physiology to unveil new approaches to treat human diseases.

857-268-7164

Phone

600 Main Street, Rm 256

Office

hmoura@mit.edu

Email

Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard

Location

Lab Website

Education

  • PhD, 2011, University of São Paulo Heart Institute
  • MSc, Molecular Biology, 2008, University of Brasilia
  • BS, 2005, Biology, University of Brasilia

Research Summary

By utilizing an innovative and intersectional approach, our lab main goal is to reveal fundamental immune-related pathways that modulate organ and tissue physiology. Our work will help to develop new strategies to tune these molecular pathways in health and disease, leading to the development of much-needed therapeutic approaches for human diseases.

Awards

  • CAPES Thesis Award - Brazil, 2012

Key Publications

  1. Leukocyte Heterogeneity in Adipose Tissue, Including in Obesity. Weinstock, A, Moura Silva, H, Moore, KJ, Schmidt, AM, Fisher, EA. 2020. Circ Res 126, 1590-1612.
    doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.120.316203PMID:32437300
  2. Vasculature-associated fat macrophages readily adapt to inflammatory and metabolic challenges. Silva, HM, Báfica, A, Rodrigues-Luiz, GF, Chi, J, Santos, PDA, Reis, BS, Hoytema van Konijnenburg, DP, Crane, A, Arifa, RDN, Martin, P et al.. 2019. J Exp Med 216, 786-806.
    doi: 10.1084/jem.20181049PMID:30862706
  3. CX3CR1+ monocytes modulate learning and learning-dependent dendritic spine remodeling via TNF-α. Garré, JM, Silva, HM, Lafaille, JJ, Yang, G. 2017. Nat Med 23, 714-722.
    doi: 10.1038/nm.4340PMID:28504723
  4. c-MAF dependent perivascular macrophages regulate diet induced metabolic syndrome. Silva, H.M., Kitoko, J.Z., Queiroz, C.P., Kroehling, L., Matheis, F., Yang, K.L., Ren-Fielding, C., Littman, D.R., Bozza, M.T., Mucida, D., and Lafaille, J.J. 2021. bioRxiv.
    doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.07.430147

Recent Publications

  1. A specialized CD107a+ macrophage subset drives hyperphagocytosis of mycobacteria. Eto, C, Luiz, G, Silva, HM, Munari, EL, Mendes, DAGB, Beck, BK, Mascarin, LZ, Starick, M, Canesso, MCC, Reis, BS et al.. 2026. iScience 29, 117622.
    doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117622PMID:42877136
  2. Microglial Presenilin-1 modulates neuronal function and memory-associated behaviors. Frost, PDS, Martinez, CA, Millet, A, McWhirt, J, Cheng, J, Bamkole, M, Kim, Y, Silva, HM, Lafaille, JJ, Azevedo, EP et al.. 2026. J Neurosci , .
    doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0310-26.2026PMID:42875182
  3. Functional border-associated macrophages limit Alzheimer's Disease progression. Adler, D, Pinheiro-Rosa, N, Millet, A, Gajic, ZZ, Cheng, E, Gamallo-Lana, B, Morizawa, Y, Klann, E, Gan, WB, Mar, AC et al.. 2026. bioRxiv , .
    doi: 10.64898/2026.01.31.703045PMID:41676677
  4. IRF4 sends alveolar macrophages spiraling into an identity crisis during type 2 immunity. Hutton, A, Silva, HM. 2026. Immunity 59, 5-7.
    doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2025.12.003PMID:41534513
  5. Mutant p53 exploits enhancers to elevate immunosuppressive chemokine expression and impair immune checkpoint inhibitors in pancreatic cancer. Mahat, DB, Kumra, H, Castro, SA, Metcalf, E, Nguyen, K, Morisue, R, Ho, WW, Chen, I, Sullivan, B, Yim, LH et al.. 2025. Immunity 58, 1688-1705.e9.
    doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2025.06.005PMID:40592342
  6. Mutant p53 Exploits Enhancers to Elevate Immunosuppressive Chemokine Expression and Impair Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Pancreatic Cancer. Mahat, DB, Kumra, H, Castro, SA, Metcalf, E, Nguyen, K, Morisue, R, Ho, WW, Chen, I, Sullivan, B, Yim, LK et al.. 2024. bioRxiv , .
    doi: 10.1101/2024.08.28.609802PMID:39257788
  7. Resident tissue macrophages: Key coordinators of tissue homeostasis beyond immunity. Zhao, J, Andreev, I, Silva, HM. 2024. Sci Immunol 9, eadd1967.
    doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.add1967PMID:38608039
  8. Transcriptomic analysis of loss of Gli1 in neural stem cells responding to demyelination in the mouse brain. Samanta, J, Silva, HM, Lafaille, JJ, Salzer, JL. 2021. Sci Data 8, 278.
    doi: 10.1038/s41597-021-01063-xPMID:34711861
  9. Correction: Lack of a site-specific phosphorylation of Presenilin 1 disrupts microglial gene networks and progenitors during development. Ledo, JH, Zhang, R, Mesin, L, Mourão-Sá, D, Azevedo, EP, Silva, HM, Troyanskaya, OG, Bustos, V, Greengard, P. 2021. PLoS One 16, e0247680.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247680PMID:33606833
  10. Serum Amyloid A Proteins Induce Pathogenic Th17 Cells and Promote Inflammatory Disease. Lee, JY, Hall, JA, Kroehling, L, Wu, L, Najar, T, Nguyen, HH, Lin, WY, Yeung, ST, Silva, HM, Li, D et al.. 2020. Cell 183, 2036-2039.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.12.008PMID:33357400
More Publications
Photo credit: Courtesy of Hernandez Moura Silva