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Biological Sciences Associate Professor Isaura Simões, Ph.D., was awarded the 2025 Cheng Fund for Innovative Research Grant from the College of Sciences at 91��Ƭ��. Her field of study has evolved over time, transitioning from work on plant and bacterial proteases to studying tick-borne diseases. Dr. Simões joined 91��Ƭ�� in January 2024 and hit the ground running. In her lab, she collaborates with scientists globally and mentors 91��Ƭ�� graduate students. One of her major goals is to bring awareness that Rickettsia remains comparatively understudied among intracellular pathogens and to advance strategies to prevent and treat infections transmitted by infected ticks.

“I work with Rickettsia, which are obligate intracellular bacteria that cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and other spotted fever rickettsioses, and are transmitted primarily by ticks,” said Dr. Simões. She wants to understand how Rickettsia manipulates host cells and replicates intracellularly. “By understanding that, we will be able to better understand how to control these bacteria, and we may eventually identify strategies to counteract this manipulation.” 

Rickettsia requires a host cell to replicate. “They cannot replicate outside a host cell and use arthropod vectors, like ticks, to reach mammalian hosts,” said Dr. Simões. She notes that species within the genus exhibit a spectrum of pathogenicity. “Some are highly pathogenic and cause severe diseases such as RMSF, while others have not been associated with disease in humans,” said Dr. Simões. “This diverse spectrum of pathogenicity is not completely understood, and it’s where our lab also fits in aiming to clarify what drives these differences between species and why some are not linked to human disease.” 

Dr. Simões believes that her work is dynamic and can improve public health. The next time you’re on a walk or take a hike, she wants you to remember what could happen if you encounter a tick that may be infected. “If you are bitten by an infected tick, you can acquire a bacterial infection that, in susceptible individuals - you are immunocompromised, an older person or have certain health conditions - may lead to serious illness, depending on the species carried by the tick,” said Dr. Simões. “Our goal is to understand how these bacteria grow inside cells and to develop new therapeutic approaches to address them, so that outdoor activities remain safe even where infected ticks are present.”

She is aware that many people are more familiar with Lyme disease, and she wants broader awareness of Rickettsia and rickettsioses. “These infections are of growing concern because ticks are expanding their geographic distribution due to climate/temperature changes bringing pathogens into new areas,” said Dr. Simões. Infected ticks can lead to serious infections and, in rare cases, death. “Doing research allows us to better understand these diseases and ultimately contribute to new strategies for prevention and control,” said Dr. Simões. “What we do is worth being funded and brings science closer to the community, which is essential for public awareness and engagement.” 

Originally from Portugal, Dr. Simões has worked in environments where women have been highly represented in research. “I feel very privileged, and in Portugal we have a lot of women in STEM, particularly in biomedical sciences where women are the majority,” said Dr. Simões. “It’s important to empower women and make sure their voices are heard.” 

Initially, she worked on proteases. “Proteases are proteins that cleave other proteins.” They are central to signaling and in controlling many cellular processes. “We spotted a very interesting protease in Rickettsia, which is a homolog of HIV-1 protease, and began investigating why Rickettsia encodes a very conserved retropepsin-type protease and what its function is in infection,” said Dr. Simões. Beginning on the protease side proved to be foundational to her research interests. “I fell in love with these bacteria, and I started moving forward to understand other aspects of their pathogenicity, which is why we now pursue several lines of research.” 

Her work has been ongoing for the last 20 years. Coming up with strategies to counteract these bacteria takes time and takes a collaborative effort. 

“One of the amazing things about doing research is its collaborative reach. It has allowed me to work in the U.S., Germany, and Portugal, and to travel widely to share our findings in countries such as Japan, South Africa, and Brazil, to name a few.”, said Dr. Simões. 

Currently, she is working with several 91��Ƭ�� graduate students establishing her lab in the biomedical sciences program. “As a mentor, I believe in a ‘we’ concept while building a supportive community in the lab - we must trust one another,” said Dr. Simões. “Over the course of a master’s or Ph.D., one of the things I appreciate the most is when I see the spark in students’ eyes, when they feel that what they do is important and they are growing as scientists.” She feels compelled to ensure that her graduate students become critical thinkers. “I think that’s the most important thing when we do research. It is a very complete experience because you have to plan, troubleshoot, and be independent about what your next approach will be,” said Dr. Simões. Her approach is integrative. “One of my mentors used to say the goal is that our graduate students become better than we are - and I believe in that,” said Dr. Simões. 

The Cheng Fund is an endowment created by Dr. Richard Cheng and the purpose is to support federal grant applications with a strong emphasis on original and innovative research.