Amit Garg
–Postdoctoral Researcher: March 2023 –Present
Dr. Garg is a viral immunologist with expertise in virus-host interactions and translational research on emerging flaviviruses such as Dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), and West Nile virus (WNV). His work bridges molecular virology and host response profiling to better understand viral pathogenesis and identify therapeutic targets.
During his training and role as a Research Scientist at ICGEB, he evaluated small-molecule antivirals against DENV using in vitro screening, transcriptomics, and a murine Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE) model to investigate severe dengue pathogenesis.
In Dr. Jean Lim’s lab, Dr. Garg investigates the role of chemokine receptors in flavivirus infections during pregnancy using murine models. His work focuses on viral dissemination, immune modulation, and placental integrity to elucidate host factors influencing vertical transmission and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Recent Publications:
- Garg A, Lim JK.
A Pocket Guide to CCR5–Neurotropic Flavivirus Edition.
Viruses (2023) - Patel AR, Garg A, Rosberger HT, Kowdle S, Reis RA, Frere JJ, Januska MN, Dawodu G, Valencia E, Yang MC, Stevens CS, Rao VN, Haas GD, Chen YW, Lee B, Lim JK.
Alveolar macrophages are early targets of mumps virus.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2024)
PMID: 39700136 - Garg A, Shukla R, Kumar A, Aggarwal C, Mukhopadhyay A, Khanna N.
Differential Transcriptional Landscape of Vero Cells During Dengue Virus 2 Infection in the Presence of Sinococuline.
Microorganisms (2024)
PMID: –
Google Scholar:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rn4emWoAAAAJ&hl=en
Andre Pastor Da Silva
–Postdoctoral Researcher: September 2024–Present
Dr. Pastor Da Silva has broad expertise in comparative immunology and host-pathogen interactions. His postdoctoral work at Mount Sinai (2022–2024) explored antiviral immune responses in Rousettus aegyptiacus (Egyptian rousette bat). Prior to that, at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2019–2020), he studied immune responses to Zika virus in the marsupial Monodelphis domestica. He earned a PhD in Genetics from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil (2013–2017), focusing on monoclonal antibody development and immune profiling in lymphatic filariasis patients. He also has research experience with Flavivirus infections, including ZIKV and DENV.
Since joining the Lim Lab in September 2024, Dr. Pastor’s research focuses on infection dynamics and immune responses to Pararubulaviruses, including Menangle virus, and Flaviviruses, particularly West Nile virus, in human and murine models. His ongoing work also includes the development of monoclonal antibodies against murine CCR5, and studying immune responses to influenza HA and NA antigens.
Recent Publications:
- Farias PCS, Pastor AF, Gonçales JP, Do Nascimento IDS, et al.
Epidemiological profile of arboviruses in two different scenarios: dengue circulation vs. dengue, chikungunya and Zika co-circulation.
BMC Infect Dis (2023) - Pastor AF, Docena C, Rezende AM, Oliveira FRS, Sena MA, Morais CNL, et al.
Human genome polymorphisms and computational intelligence approach revealed a complex genomic signature for COVID-19 severity in Brazilian patients.
Viruses (2023) - Pastor AF, Mahaney SM, Garcia J Jr, Morales M, Quintanilla O, et al.
The Laboratory Opossum (Monodelphis domestica) Is a Unique Model for Research on Zika Virus: Robust Immune Response, Widespread Dissemination, and ….
Viruses (2023)
Google Scholar:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=O9FiPwgAAAAJ&hl=pt-BR&oi=ao
Guilherme De Moraes Nobrega
–Postdoctoral Researcher: October 2024–Present
Dr. Nobrega is a translational virologist aiming to investigate virus-host interactions during human pregnancy. His research expertise focuses on understanding how emerging and re-emerging viruses affect pregnancy outcomes and the maternal-fetal interface, particularly the placenta. He studied the effects of Flaviviruses (Zika virus, ZIKV) and Coronaviruses(SARS-CoV-2) on maternal and perinatal health, with broader interests in translational maternal health research and molecular virology, exploring the impact of these infections on placental biology and maternal morbidity, such as preeclampsia. He holds a B.Sc. in Biology (2020) and a M.Sc. in Health Sciences (2022), both from the University of Campinas – UNICAMP, Brazil. He earned his Ph.D. in Health Sciences with focus on Maternal and Perinatal Health from UNICAMP (2024), which included a collaborative research period at Baylor College of Medicine – BCM, Houston, TX, USA (2023-2024).
Dr. Nobrega joined the Lim Lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow in October 2024. His research focuses on virus-host interactions during pregnancy, particularly involving Poxviruses (Mpox, MPXV) and Paramyxoviruses. He employs both in vivo (murine) and ex vivo pregnancy models (e.g., placental explants, primary cells, and lineage-derived cell lines). In parallel, he is developing cellular systems to investigate molecular receptors involved in cell trafficking, and studying immune modulation by Flaviviruses in pregnancy using ex vivo approaches.
Outside of the lab, Dr. Nobrega enjoys exploring New York City – discovering its vibrant restaurants, bars, museums, theaters, and parks. He is an avid swimmer, enjoys cooking for friends, and loves traveling and trying new sports and activities.
Recent Publications:,
- Nobrega GM, McColl ER, Antolini‐Tavares A, Souza RT, Cecatti JG, et al.
Placentas From SARS‐CoV‐2 Infection During Pregnancy Exhibit Foci of Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage.
Am J Reprod Immunol (2025) - Nobrega GM, Pietro L, Dariva SL, Vasconcelos-Silva IA, Manari MP, et al.
Preeclampsia biomarkers (sFlt-1/PlGF) dynamics are not disrupted by SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy in a hypertensive disorder SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated cohort.
Pregnancy Hypertens (2025) - Jones BR, Nobrega GM, Kumar D, Diveley E, Antolini-Tavares A, et al.
SARS-CoV-2 infection disrupts syncytial and endothelial integrity and alters PLGF levels in the placenta.
bioRxiv (2025) - De Moraes Nobrega G, Granja F, Pietro L, Ribeiro-do-Valle CC, et al.
SARS-CoV-2 genome detection and viral viability in breast milk samples of unvaccinated postpartum women.
Int J Gynaecol Obstet (2025)
Google Scholar:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=O9FiPwgAAAAJ&hl
Fei Song
–Associate Researcher: January 2025–Present
Dr. Song is a seasoned researcher with extensive experience across multiple disciplines. Outside the lab, Fei enjoys reading widely, capturing candid moments through photography, and spending time outdoors—especially in the company of her beloved dog.