Portuguese immunologist

Benedita Barata da Rocha (24 February 1949 – 2 October 2021) was a Portuguese immunologist.

She earned her M.D. 1972 from the University of Lisbon, and her Ph.D. 1978 from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK. She was "directeur de recherche cl*e exceptionel" (DRCE) of the CNRS and director of a research unit of the INSERM at the Necker Ins*ute, Paris, France. Her major scientific contributions are in the areas of T cell immune tolerance, T cell memory and development of intraepithelial lymphocytes.

In 2007 she received the CNRS Silver Medal award and in 2009 a European Research Council advanced grant.She published more than 100 research articles.

Major works

• Rocha, B; von Boehmer, H (8 March 1991). "Peripheral selection of the T cell repertoire". Science. 251 (4998): 1225–8. doi:10.1126/science.1900951. PMID:1900951.
• Tanchot, C; Lemonnier, FA; Pérarnau, B; Freitas, AA; Rocha, B (27 June 1997). "Differential requirements for survival and proliferation of CD8 naïve or memory T cells". Science. 276 (5321): 2057–62. doi:10.1126/science.276.5321.2057. PMID:9197272.
• Veiga-Fernandes, H; Walter, U; Bourgeois, C; McLean, A; Rocha, B (July 2000). "Response of naïve and memory CD8+ T cells to antigen stimulation in vivo". Nature Immunology. 1 (1): 47–53. doi:10.1038/76907. PMID:10881174.
• Peaudecerf, L; dos Santos, PR; Boudil, A; Ezine, S; Pardigon, N; Rocha, B (January 2011). "The role of the gut as a primary lymphoid organ: CD8αα intraepithelial T lymphocytes in euthymic mice derive from very immature CD44+ thymocyte precursors". Mucosal Immunology. 4 (1): 93–101. doi:10.1038/mi.2010.47. PMID:20737000.

References