Marcos Felipe de Oliveira Galvão

Marcos Felipe de Oliveira Galvão

Research Specialist
Visiting address: Nobels väg 13, 17177 Stockholm
Postal address: C6 Institutet för miljömedicin, C6 Biokemisk toxikologi Dreij, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • I earned my M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil. During my Ph.D., I completed a visiting fellowship at the Unit of Biochemical Toxicology, IMM, Karolinska Institutet, where I later joined Professor Kristian Dreij’s group as a postdoctoral researcher in Genetic Toxicology. Since 2023, I have been a Research Specialist at IMM.

    My research focuses on Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, with a particular emphasis on characterizing air pollution from biomass burning. This includes particulate matter sampling, physicochemical analysis, pollutant dispersion modeling, and evaluation of biological effects using both in vitro and in vivo systems. Therefore, my research aims to understand and mitigate health risks from biomass burning, a major global challenge for climate and public health.

    Currently, I am developing a novel cancer risk assessment (CRA) model for air pollution, based on in vitro testing of environmental samples. Our recent findings show that New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) can significantly improve CRA strategies, providing innovative tools to address complex environmental mixtures and protect public health.  Also, I´m leading a project on the acute respiratory and cardiovascular impacts of biomass smoke exposure in the Brazilian Amazon.

Research

  • Development of new approach methodologies for assessing cancer risks associated with air pollution mixtures

    Air pollution is a complex mixture of compounds with different biological activities that makes risk assessment a challenge. Current strategies for cancer risk assessment (CRA) of air pollution are today based on a pollutant-by-pollutant approach. This is a great simplification and excludes the possibility of mixture effects that may underestimate actual human health risks. The aim of this project is to address these issues by developing a New Approach Method (NAM) for CRA of air pollution mixtures. We propose that CRA of complex mixtures should be based on in vitro toxicity testing of whole mixtures and determination of relative Mixture Potency Factors (MPFs) (Toxicology 2014). We have previously shown that this approach can accurately determine the genotoxic potency of individual air pollutants (Environ Sci Technol 2017). Using this NAM, we aim to show that CRA of air pollution based on in vitro MPFs better predict the lung cancer risk associated with exposure to ambient air PM than currently accepted component-based approaches. We are now applying this NAM with samples representing different emission sources and environments (Environ Int 2022, Environ Int 2024). This project is funded by the Swedish Research Council FORMAS, STINT/CAPES, and Karolinska Institutet. PI: Kristian Dreij

    Assessment of acute respiratory and cardiovascular health effects due to biomass smoke exposure in the Brazilian Amazon

    Biomass burning poses serious global threats to climate, biodiversity, and public health. Nearly 3 billion people worldwide are exposed to biomass-derived particulate matter (PM), yet the acute health effects of outdoor wildfires remain underexplored in many regions. This project investigates the acute respiratory and cardiovascular effects of short-term biomass smoke exposure among populations living in the Amazon deforestation arc. We combine personal exposure monitoring,  biomarkers of cardiopulmonary function, and in vitro toxicological analysis of collected PM using lung cell models. This integrative approach provides both mechanistic insights and real-world relevance. To our knowledge, this is the first study to link personal exposure data with functional and mechanistic endpoints in this region. The project is supported by the Swedish Research Council FORMAS and Karolinska Institutet.PI: Felipe de Oliveira Galvão

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
    1 January 2025
    Forest fires have increased significantly in frequency and intensity, becoming a threat to human health and environmental integrity. The Pantanal and the Amazon play crucial roles in maintaining biodiversity and environmental regulation. However, both regions are being impacted by fires that release large amounts of fine particulate matter (PM2,5) into the atmosphere, intensifying risks to public health and ecosystems. Bats and wild rodents are bioindicators of environmental quality, with relevance for ecotoxicological studies. However, in situ studies that relate DNA damage in these animals to exposure to genotoxic pollutants associated with PM2,5 released during fires are scarce. The study aims to characterize the genotoxic potential and assess the mutagenic risks related to exposure to PM2,5 in critical areas: Pantanal Sul-Mato-Grossense and Amazon. The methodology involves seasonal analysis of the physical-chemical composition of PM2,5, atmospheric dispersion studies to map pollution patterns, genotoxicity assessment in indicator species, and in human lung cells using in vitro models. Micronucleus and comet assays will be applied to detect DNA damage. Data analysis will be enhanced by advanced artificial intelligence techniques, including neural networks, diffusion models, symbolic regression, and random forests, aiming to develop predictive risk models that will provide insight into the impacts of fires on human health and biota. The hypothesis is that PM2,5 causes genetic damage with variations according to the susceptibility of the species and the duration of exposure. This study seeks to fill gaps in knowledge about the impacts of fires in two ecologically important regions, which will support the formulation of public policies associated with the mitigation of environmental and health risks based on predictive risk models.
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
    1 October 2024 - 1 January 2027
  • Swedish Research Council for Environment Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning
    1 January 2023 - 31 December 2026
    Biomass burning is a global concern in terms of climate change, biological diversity, and health hazards. Globally, ca 3 billion people are exposed to biomass particulate matter (PM). Biomarkers of exposure and effect are fundamental for understanding environmental exposures, mechanistic pathways, and monitoring early adverse outcomes. Our aim is to assess the acute cardiopulmonary (CP) health effects due to short-term exposure to biomass PM among the population in Amazon deforestation arc together with in vitro analyses of sampled PM in a lung cell model to provide a mechanistic characterization of the health hazard. The project is based on a panel study in Amazon, with measurements of CP health and effect biomarkers using an exposure lag of 1-7 days during the wet and dry season with exposure assessment based on personal PM monitoring and urinary metabolites. The mode of action is assessed by in vitro studies using sampled PM. The project addresses the so far neglected and less understood issue of acute CP effects due to short-term exposure to PM from wildfires. This project will be the first of its kind to combine personal monitoring of exposure, specific CP biomarkers, and functional tests with mechanistic in vitro studies of collected PM in Amazon. How does this translate to public awareness? To reduce the gap between high-quality research and effectively engaging affected communities we will use environmental education strategies among the exposed population.
  • Coordenação de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
    1 January 2020
    Biomass PM exposure has emerged as a global risk factor of equal magnitude for COPD and lung cancer pathogenesis as tobacco smoke. To limit negative health effects of biomass PM accurate risk assessment (RA) is required, which requires a complete understanding of the mode-of-action. Air pollution is a complex mixture of compounds with different biological activities that makes risk assessment a challenge. Current strategies for risk assessment of air pollution are however based on a pollutant-by-pollutant approach. This is a great simplification and excludes the possibility of mixture effects that may underestimate actual human health risks. Authorities have recommended risk assessment approaches based on toxicity evaluations of whole mixtures since they inherently address interaction effects among pollutants, but such models are still lacking. The main objective of this project is to improve the knowledge about health effects of biomass burning PM. The focus will be on increasing the understanding of mixture effects and mode-of action of biomass PM in relation to development of COPD and lung cancer. For this we will use whole mixture biomass PM samples from Brazilian Amazon and Cashew roasting regions and three different in vitro models.
  • Swedish Research Council for Environment Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning
    1 January 2020 - 31 December 2022
  • Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education
    1 January 2020 - 1 January 2023
  • Cancer risk assessment of airborne pollutants based on in vitro mixture potency factors
    Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
    1 November 2018 - 1 November 2019

Employments

  • Research Specialist, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2023-
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Genetic toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), Karolinska Institutet, 2019-2022

Degrees and Education

  • PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Physicochemical characterization of particulate matter, occupational risk assessment and molecular mechanisms associated with cashew nut roasting, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 2016
  • Master in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Evaluation of genotoxic and cytotoxic potential associated with artisanal cashew nut roasting in João Câmara - RN, Brazil, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 2011
  • Bachelor in Biological Science, Evaluation of the mutagenic potential associated with cashew nut burning using the micronucleus bioassay in Tradescantia pallida tetrads., Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 2009
  • Licentiate in Biological Science, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 2008

Leadership and responsibility assignments

Distinction and awards

  • The Sten Orrenius Prize, To honor the late Prof. Em. Sten Orrenius, IMM established an award for best original article by an early career scientist in the field of toxicology to be awarded every two years. The inaugural prize was awarded in 2022. The second Sten Orrenius Prize was awarded in January 2025 to Dr. Felipe de Oliveira Galvão at the Unit of Biochemical Toxicology at IMM for a study on cancer risk assessment using an in vitro model, Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), Karolinska Institutet, https://news.ki.se/the-sten-orrenius-prize-2024, 2024

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