My research is focused on simuliid disease vectors and the human filarial parasites they can transmit; I am interested in the ecology, evolution and population dynamics of both. In the past I have worked on African simullid vectors and their filarial parasites, but since arriving at the Fiocruz, ILMD (at the end of 2011) my research has become concerned, almost solely, with the Amazonian simuliid vectors and their human parasites. I am especially interested in the applied side of Amazonian simuliid vector and parasite research and thus the research projects that I get involved with tend to be focused around the development of molecular tools that can aid with parasite and vector identification and/or simuliid-borne disease control. The symbiotic bacteria of simullid disease vectors and their parasites are an increasingly important part of my research work. A lot of my work now concerns how these microbes might be affecting vector-borne disease epidemiology; how they might be manipulated or targeted for more affective disease control planning, and what they can tell us about disease vector and parasite population dynamics. All of my active research projects, which are not directly connected with simuliid vector research, involve symbiotic bacteria. Before coming to the Fiocruz, ILMD, I worked as a post-doctoral medical research entomologist at the Natural History Museum (NHM, London), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL).
bachelor's at Genetics from Queen Mary, University of London (1999) and doctorate at Genetics from Queen Mary, University of London (2004). Has experience in Genetics, focusing on Molecular Genetics and of Microorganisms
