FACULTY PROFILES

Priscila S. G. Farani

Assistant Professor
Pharmacy

Office Building: Campbell Building
Office Room: 507
Phone:
Email: psilvagrij@utep.edu

Bio

Translational scientist specializing in molecular biology, immunology, and biomarker discovery for neglected tropical diseases, with a focus on Chagas disease and multi-omics approaches to improve global health outcomes.

Awards and Honors

Founder & Chair, The University of Texas at El Paso Postdoctoral Association - The University of Texas at El Paso (01/01/2024)
Co-chair Of Gordon Research Seminars in Tropical Infectious Diseases - Gordon Research Conferences (04/01/2023)
Oswaldo Cruz Best Dissertation Award - Oswaldo Cruz Institute - FIOCRUZ, Brazil (09/01/2022)
PrInt CAPES Ph.D. Scholarship - Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) (09/01/2019)

Education

Ph D in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz) (2021)
MS in Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (2016)
BS in School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (2014)

Publications

Advancing Trypanosoma cruzi N-myristoyltransferase as a drug target for Chagas disease through in silico discovery and biochemical evaluation Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences (2026), Diana Gonzalez-Garcia, Angel Torres, Alan Taveli, Lucas . Alberca, Miguel . Beltran, Frida Lara, Marina da Silva Ferreira, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani, Igor C. Almeida, Rosa A. Maldonado.
Chagas Disease in the 21st Century: Global Spread, Ecological Shifts, and Research Frontiers MDPI Biology (2025), Marina da Silva Ferreira, Rosa A. Maldonado-Medina, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Combined benznidazole and pentoxifylline therapy improves behavioral and cognitive changes in association with the regulation of systemic inflammatory profile in chronic experimental Chagas disease PLoS One (2025), Glaucia Vilar-Pereira, Leda Castaño-Barrios, Isabela Resende Pereira, Thayse do Espírito Santo Protásio da Silva, Lina L. Hernandez-Velasco, Priscila S. G. Farani, Aditi Kulkarni, Sourav Roy, Hilton M. Antônio Mata dos Santos, Raquel de Oliveira Lopez, Luzineide Wanderley Tinoco, Constança Britto, da Cruz Moreira Otacilio, Andrea Alice Silva, Joseli Lannes-Vieira.
Utility of Magnetic Bead-Based Automated DNA Extraction to Improve Chagas Disease Molecular Diagnosis International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2025), Priscila S. G. Farani, Jacqueline Lopez, Amanda Faier-Pereira, Alejandro M. Hasslocher-Moreno, Igor C. Almeida, Otacilio C. Moreira.
Establishment of a murine model of congenital toxoplasmosis and validation of a qPCR assay to assess the parasite load in maternal and fetal tissues Frontiers in Microbiology (2023), Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Treatment with benznidazole and pentoxifylline regulates microRNA transcriptomic profile in a murine model of Chagas chronic cardiomyopathy PLoS neglected tropical diseases (2023), Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Modulation of miR-145-5p and miR-146b-5p levels is linked to reduced parasite load in H9C2 Trypanosoma cruzi infected cardiomyoblasts Scientific Reports (2022), Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Potato apyrase reduces granulomatous area and increases presence of multinucleated giant cells in murine schistosomiasis Parasitology International (2021), Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Schistosoma mansoni venom allergen-like protein 6 (SmVAL6) maintains tegumental barrier function International Journal for Parasitology (2021), Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Treatment with suboptimal dose of benznidazole mitigates immune response molecular pathways in mice with chronic chagas cardiomyopathy Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (2021), Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.

Presentations

Safety and efficacy of novel Benznidazole and Nifurtimox regimens in chronic Chagas disease and early biomarkers for assessing treatment outcomes (2025), Volume Lucca, Italy, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Isolation and characterization of α-Gal-containing extracellular vesicles from Trypanosoma cruzi: Unveiling new biomarkers for Chagas disease (2024), Volume New Orleans, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Rationally Designed Prophylactic Glycan- and Peptide-Based Vaccines Prevent Cardiomyopathy by Modulating the Immunometabolism in a Nonhuman Primate Model of Chagas Disease (2024), Volume Caxambu, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Rationally designed, prophylactic glycan- and peptide-based vaccines prevent cardiomyopathy development in a nonhuman primate model of Chagas Disease (2024), Volume San Antonio, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Inflammation, immune response and metabolomic modulation induced by prophylactic glycan- and peptide-based vaccines in Papio hamadryas baboon model of Chagas disease (2024), Volume Atlanta, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Rationally designed, prophylactic glycan- and peptide-based vaccines prevent cardiomyopathy development in a nonhuman primate model of Chagas disease (2024), Volume El Paso, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Prophylactic glycan- and peptide-based vaccines elicit a protective immune response, miRNA differential expression, and metabolomic modulation in a nonhuman primate model of Chagas disease (2023), Volume Galveston, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.

Grants

No info available.

Current/Future Courses

Term	Course	Section
Spring 2026	ESE 6196 - Doctoral Research	27926
Spring 2026	ESE 6296 - Doctoral Research	27938
Spring 2026	PHAR 6472 - ISBP IIB1	23237
Spring 2026	PHAR 6476 - ISBP IIIB1	23239
Spring 2026	PHAR 6301 - Principles of Drug Action. IB	24234
Spring 2026	RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research	26652

Past Courses

Select Term:

Term	Course	Section
Fall 2025	ESE 6296 - Doctoral Research	18557
Fall 2025	PHAR 6470 - ISBP IIA1	12925
Fall 2025	PHAR 6475 - ISBP IIIA2	12900
Fall 2025	PHAR 6203 - Pathophysiology & Immunology	16563

Course Evaluations

Term	Course	Section	Evaluation
Fall 2025	PHAR 6470 - ISBP IIA1	12925	Evaluation
Fall 2025	PHAR 6475 - ISBP IIIA2	12900	Evaluation
Fall 2025	PHAR 6203 - Pathophysiology & Immunology	16563	Evaluation

Bio

Awards and Honors

Founder & Chair, The University of Texas at El Paso Postdoctoral Association - The University of Texas at El Paso (01/01/2024)
Co-chair Of Gordon Research Seminars in Tropical Infectious Diseases - Gordon Research Conferences (04/01/2023)
Oswaldo Cruz Best Dissertation Award - Oswaldo Cruz Institute - FIOCRUZ, Brazil (09/01/2022)
PrInt CAPES Ph.D. Scholarship - Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) (09/01/2019)

Ph D in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz) (2021)
MS in Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (2016)
BS in School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (2014)

Publications

Advancing Trypanosoma cruzi N-myristoyltransferase as a drug target for Chagas disease through in silico discovery and biochemical evaluation Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences (2026), Diana Gonzalez-Garcia, Angel Torres, Alan Taveli, Lucas . Alberca, Miguel . Beltran, Frida Lara, Marina da Silva Ferreira, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani, Igor C. Almeida, Rosa A. Maldonado.
Chagas Disease in the 21st Century: Global Spread, Ecological Shifts, and Research Frontiers MDPI Biology (2025), Marina da Silva Ferreira, Rosa A. Maldonado-Medina, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Combined benznidazole and pentoxifylline therapy improves behavioral and cognitive changes in association with the regulation of systemic inflammatory profile in chronic experimental Chagas disease PLoS One (2025), Glaucia Vilar-Pereira, Leda Castaño-Barrios, Isabela Resende Pereira, Thayse do Espírito Santo Protásio da Silva, Lina L. Hernandez-Velasco, Priscila S. G. Farani, Aditi Kulkarni, Sourav Roy, Hilton M. Antônio Mata dos Santos, Raquel de Oliveira Lopez, Luzineide Wanderley Tinoco, Constança Britto, da Cruz Moreira Otacilio, Andrea Alice Silva, Joseli Lannes-Vieira.
Utility of Magnetic Bead-Based Automated DNA Extraction to Improve Chagas Disease Molecular Diagnosis International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2025), Priscila S. G. Farani, Jacqueline Lopez, Amanda Faier-Pereira, Alejandro M. Hasslocher-Moreno, Igor C. Almeida, Otacilio C. Moreira.
Establishment of a murine model of congenital toxoplasmosis and validation of a qPCR assay to assess the parasite load in maternal and fetal tissues Frontiers in Microbiology (2023), Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.

Presentations

Safety and efficacy of novel Benznidazole and Nifurtimox regimens in chronic Chagas disease and early biomarkers for assessing treatment outcomes (2025), Volume Lucca, Italy, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Isolation and characterization of α-Gal-containing extracellular vesicles from Trypanosoma cruzi: Unveiling new biomarkers for Chagas disease (2024), Volume New Orleans, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Rationally Designed Prophylactic Glycan- and Peptide-Based Vaccines Prevent Cardiomyopathy by Modulating the Immunometabolism in a Nonhuman Primate Model of Chagas Disease (2024), Volume Caxambu, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Rationally designed, prophylactic glycan- and peptide-based vaccines prevent cardiomyopathy development in a nonhuman primate model of Chagas Disease (2024), Volume San Antonio, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.
Inflammation, immune response and metabolomic modulation induced by prophylactic glycan- and peptide-based vaccines in Papio hamadryas baboon model of Chagas disease (2024), Volume Atlanta, Priscila Silva Grijo Farani.

No info available.

Current/Future Courses

Term

Spring 2026

Course

ESE 6196 - Doctoral Research

Section

27926

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

ESE 6296 - Doctoral Research

Section

27938

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHAR 6472 - ISBP IIB1

Section

23237

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHAR 6476 - ISBP IIIB1

Section

23239

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHAR 6301 - Principles of Drug Action. IB

Section

24234

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research

Section

26652

Syllabus

Past Courses

Select Term:

Term

Fall 2025

Course

ESE 6296 - Doctoral Research

Section

18557

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

PHAR 6470 - ISBP IIA1

Section

12925

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

PHAR 6475 - ISBP IIIA2

Section

12900

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

PHAR 6203 - Pathophysiology & Immunology

Section

16563

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

PHAR 6470 - ISBP IIA1

Section

12925

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2025

Course

PHAR 6475 - ISBP IIIA2

Section

12900

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2025

Course

PHAR 6203 - Pathophysiology & Immunology

Section

16563

Evaluation

Priscila S. G. Farani

Bio

Education

Scholarly and Creative Activity

Grants

Courses

Course Evaluations