Faculty profile

Francesca Di Cara

ResearcherMicrobiology and ImmunologyDalhousie University

This profile is built from public research funding records (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) and PubMed. We have not imported them from a Dalhousie University directory, so their courses may be missing. Find their university profile.

Francesca Di Cara

Researcher

Microbiology and Immunology

Health Sciences

Dalhousie University

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Supervision signals

Has led research grants, which requires an independent research appointment. Ask their department whether they supervise graduate students.
23 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 11 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 10 research grants (7 CIHR, 2 NSERC, 1 SSHRC), most recently in 2025.
Supervisor on 1 trainee award (1 CIHR), most recently in 2023.

These signals come from public records, including CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions. Ask the professor or the graduate program whether they are taking new students.

Academic metrics

Publications

Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

Counts cover the publications linked to this profile. Citations and the h-index appear when the source records them.

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Signals and details

Research

Immunometabolism Peroxisomes Diacylglicerides Imd Pathway Inflammatory Signaling Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorders Tnf Pathway Drosophila Melanogaster

Latest papers

The minor spliceosome component U4atac regulates JAK/STAT signaling to modulate hematopoiesis and immune responses in Drosophila melanogaster.
Nature communications · 2026 · senior author
Peroxisomes and the nervous system: progress and challenges in neuroinflammation and cell-specific functions.
Frontiers in molecular neuroscience · 2026 · first author
Protocol for cell-specific RNA expression profiling and lipidomics analyses of Drosophila melanogaster intestinal progenitor cells.
STAR protocols · 2025 · senior author

All 30 publications

Latest funding

Peroxisomal regulation of adaptor protein oligomerization: a novel control mechanism of immune and inflammatory pathways
CIHR · 2025 · Nominated PI
$986,850
Peroxisome-Galanin/Mip-GPCR signaling in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration: Defining mechanisms of the gut-brain axis
CIHR · 2025 · Nominated PI
$1,162,800
Defining a novel mechanism of signal control in immune and inflammatory pathways, peroxisomal regulation of adaptor protein oligomerization.
CIHR · 2025 · Nominated PI
$100,000

All 14 grants and awards

30 publications.

The minor spliceosome component U4atac regulates JAK/STAT signaling to modulate hematopoiesis and immune responses in Drosophila melanogaster.

Shikara D, Bishop E, Barton N, Makdissi S, Kailasam S, György A, Siekhaus DE, Borroto MC, Campeau PM, Vong L, Roifman CM, Parsons BD, Di Cara F

Nature communications2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-75539-y PMID: 42463491

Peroxisomes and the nervous system: progress and challenges in neuroinflammation and cell-specific functions.

Di Cara F, Savary S

Frontiers in molecular neuroscience2026First author

DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2026.1745086 PMID: 41756765

Protocol for cell-specific RNA expression profiling and lipidomics analyses of Drosophila melanogaster intestinal progenitor cells.

Makdissi S, Malick A, Matak AM, Maschek JA, Kang X, Cox JE, Edgar BA, Di Cara F

STAR protocols2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2025.104188 PMID: 41206871

Phage-displayed synthetic library and screening platform for nanobody discovery.

Xia B, Kim AR, Liu F, Han M, Stoneburner E, Makdissi S, Di Cara F, Mohr SE, Ring A, Perrimon N

eLife2025

DOI: 10.7554/elife.105887 PMID: 40748049

Alterations in ether phospholipids metabolism activate the conserved UPR-Xbp1- PDIA3/ERp60 signaling to maintain intestinal homeostasis.

Makdissi S, Loudhaief R, George S, Weller T, Salim M, Malick A, Mu Y, Parsons BD, Di Cara F

iScience2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.111946 PMID: 40034858

Impaired peroxisomal beta-oxidation in microglia triggers oxidative stress and impacts neurons and oligodendrocytes.

Tawbeh A, Gondcaille C, Saih FE, Raas Q, Loichot D, Hamon Y, Keime C, Benani A, Di Cara F, Cherkaoui-Malki M, Andreoletti P, Savary S

Frontiers in molecular neuroscience2025

DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2025.1542938 PMID: 39958993

Circadian rhythm and immunity: decoding chrono-immunology using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster.

Matak A, Mu Y, Mohati S, Makdissi S, Di Cara F

Genome2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1139/gen-2025-0003 PMID: 40168693

A protocol for measuring the activity of protein kinase C-delta in murine bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells.

Mohati SM, Matak AM, Makdissi S, Di Cara F

STAR protocols2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103208 PMID: 39068659

Peroxisomal cholesterol metabolism regulates yap-signaling, which maintains intestinal epithelial barrier function and is altered in Crohn's disease.

Pinelli M, Makdissi S, Scur M, Parsons BD, Baker K, Otley A, MacIntyre B, Nguyen HD, Kim PK, Stadnyk AW, Di Cara F

Cell death & disease2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06925-x PMID: 39069546

Nuclear lipid droplets in Caco2 cells originate from nascent precursors and in situ at the nuclear envelope.

McPhee M, Lee J, Salsman J, Pinelli M, Di Cara F, Rosen K, Dellaire G, Ridgway ND

Journal of lipid research2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2024.100540 PMID: 38570093

Peroxisomal regulation of adaptor protein oligomerization: a novel control mechanism of immune and inflammatory pathways

Nominated PICIHR2025Project Grant

Principal investigators: Di Cara, Francesca

Keywords: Adaptor Protein Oligomerization; Diacylglicerides; Glycerohospholipids; Imd Pathway; Inflammatory Signaling; Kawasaki Disease; Nlrp3 Inflammasome; Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorders; Tnf Pathway

$986,850

Peroxisome-Galanin/Mip-GPCR signaling in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration: Defining mechanisms of the gut-brain axis

Nominated PICIHR2025Project Grant

Principal investigators: Di Cara, Francesca

Keywords: Drosophila Melanogaster; Galanin; Gpcrs; Gut-Brain Axis; Immunometabolism; Mouse; Neuroinflammation; Neuropeptides; Peroxisomes; Redox Stress

$1,162,800

Defining a novel mechanism of signal control in immune and inflammatory pathways, peroxisomal regulation of adaptor protein oligomerization.

Nominated PICIHR2025Project Grant - Priority Announcement: Infection and Immunity

Principal investigators: Di Cara, Francesca

Keywords: Diacylglicerides; Imd Pathway; Immunometabolism; Inflammasome; Inflammatory Signaling; Macrophages; Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorders; Peroxisomes; Prion-Like Self Oligomerization; Tnf Pathway

$100,000

Peroxisomal regulation of adaptor protein oligomerization: a novel control mechanism of immune and inflammatory pathways

Nominated PICIHR2025PRIZE:Pro. GR. - PA: The Bhagirath Singh Early Career Prize in Inf. and Immunity

Principal investigators: Di Cara, Francesca

$25,000

Characterization of metabolic contribution from the microbiota in the gut-brain axis

SupervisorCIHR2023Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA)

Principal investigators: Barton, Nathan

Keywords: Aging; Brain; Gut; Health; Metabolic; Metabolites; Microbiota; Neurodegeneration; Neuroinflammation; Supplement; Vitamins

$6,000

Canada Research Chair - Tier 2

Nominated PICIHR2023Canada Research Chairs - CIHR Funded - Tier 2

Principal investigators: Di Cara, Francesca

Keywords: Crc

$500,000

The 17th Canadian Drosophila Research Conference - CanFly2023

Co-investigatorCIHR2022Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Kramer, James M

Keywords: Cell Biology; Disease Models; Drosophila; Evolution; Genetics; Molecular Biology; Neurobiology; Physiology

$10,000

Upgrade to Protein Imaging Suite

Co-investigatorNSERC2021Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Marignani, Paola

$140,000

Defining the peroxisome-lipid signaling network in innate immunity.

Nominated PICIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: Di Cara, Francesca

Keywords: Drosophila Melanogaster; Immunometabolism; Innate Immunity; Lipid Signaling; Nf-Kb; Pbd Mouse Model; Peroxisomes; Phagocytosis; Phospholipids; Rac1

$879,750

High-throughput single-cell imaging flow cytometry platform

Co-investigatorNSERC2019Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Cheng, Zhenyu

$149,999

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

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Francesca Di Cara

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

The minor spliceosome component U4atac regulates JAK/STAT signaling to modulate hematopoiesis and immune responses in Drosophila melanogaster.

Peroxisomes and the nervous system: progress and challenges in neuroinflammation and cell-specific functions.

Protocol for cell-specific RNA expression profiling and lipidomics analyses of Drosophila melanogaster intestinal progenitor cells.

Phage-displayed synthetic library and screening platform for nanobody discovery.

Alterations in ether phospholipids metabolism activate the conserved UPR-Xbp1- PDIA3/ERp60 signaling to maintain intestinal homeostasis.

Impaired peroxisomal beta-oxidation in microglia triggers oxidative stress and impacts neurons and oligodendrocytes.

Circadian rhythm and immunity: decoding chrono-immunology using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster.

A protocol for measuring the activity of protein kinase C-delta in murine bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells.

Peroxisomal cholesterol metabolism regulates yap-signaling, which maintains intestinal epithelial barrier function and is altered in Crohn's disease.

Nuclear lipid droplets in Caco2 cells originate from nascent precursors and in situ at the nuclear envelope.

Peroxisomal regulation of adaptor protein oligomerization: a novel control mechanism of immune and inflammatory pathways

Peroxisome-Galanin/Mip-GPCR signaling in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration: Defining mechanisms of the gut-brain axis

Defining a novel mechanism of signal control in immune and inflammatory pathways, peroxisomal regulation of adaptor protein oligomerization.

Peroxisomal regulation of adaptor protein oligomerization: a novel control mechanism of immune and inflammatory pathways

Characterization of metabolic contribution from the microbiota in the gut-brain axis

Canada Research Chair - Tier 2

The 17th Canadian Drosophila Research Conference - CanFly2023

Upgrade to Protein Imaging Suite

Defining the peroxisome-lipid signaling network in innate immunity.

High-throughput single-cell imaging flow cytometry platform

Frequent collaborators

Deniz Top

Kirill Rosen

Christopher Power

Anthony Otley

Peter Kim

Etienne Hébert Chatelain

Graham Dellaire

Kristi Baker

Beata Derfalvi

Zhenyu Cheng