Carla Maia

Carla Maia graduated in Veterinary Medicine (Universidade Técnica de Lisboa), obtained MSc degree in Medical Parasitology (IHMT, NOVA), a PhD degree and the Habilitation title in Biomedical Sciences, specialization in Parasitology at the same Institution. She is Specialist on Veterinary Parasitology by the European Veterinary Parasitology College, recognized by the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation.

Her h-index is 28. She has published 3 chapters in international books and over 98 papers in international peer-review journals with impact factor in the areas of Parasitology, Tropical Medicine, and Infectious Diseases. She has presented over 150 works at Conferences.

Maia has acted as PI/PI responsible for the participation of IHMT/UNL in nine projects and in one international network regarding leishmaniasis funded by the ECDC, DNDi, FCT, and pharmaceutical companies. She belonged to the Management committee of 2 COST-Actions. She was a team member in 7 projects, in 8 networks and worked as study director in a clinical study.

Experience as scientific adviser:

• Member of the Scientific Committee of ACL3 insectary and of the IHMT Ethics Committee;
• Member of the scientific committee of 7th International Congress on Leishmania and Leishmaniasis (2019-2023) and of the 11th International Symposium of Phlebotomine Sandflies (2023-2024);
• Ad-hoc reviewer for several journals including Emerging Infectious Diseases, Trends in Parasitology, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Parasites & Vectors;
• Associate Editor: Current Research in Parasitology and Vector-Bone Diseases (since 2020); Parasites & Vectors (subject: Parasites of veterinary importance) (2018-2020).

Ciência vitae

Research: Leishmania and phlebotomine sand flies (epidemiology, diagnosis, fieldwork, vector-pathogen-host interactions; animal models; in vitro Leishmania susceptibility to drugs). In recent years, she has carried out studies on phleboviruses in humans, domestic animals, and sand flies, and in agents transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes with zoonotic or veterinary importance.

Currently she is:

• Coordinating the project CLIMOS: Climate Monitoring and Decision Support Framework for Sand Fly-borne Diseases Detection and Mitigation (https://climos-project.eu/) funded by the European Union. The project, which has the collaboration of 29 partners from 16 countries, aims to assist adaptation and mitigation of climate – and climate change-induced emergence, transmission and spread of sand fly-borne and zoonotic pathogens based on Eco-health and One Health approaches;
• Participating as PI responsible for the participation of IHMT/UNL in the project Planet4Health funded by the European Union. The project, which has the collaboration of 17 partners from 12 countries, aims to support policy making process and citizens awareness on sustainable planetary health, climate and environmental policies and adaptation and mitigation strategies to natural hazards, such as the One Health effects of vector-borne diseases.

1. Maia C, Conceição C, Pereira A, Rocha R, Ortuño M, Muñoz C, Jumakanova Z, Pérez-Cutillas P, Özbel Y, Töz S, Baneth G, Monge-Maillo B, Gasimov E, Van der Stede Y, Torres F, Gossner C, Berriatua E. (2023). The estimated distribution of autochthonous leishmaniasis by Leishmania infantum in Europe in 2005-2020. PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 17:e0011497.
2. Rocha R, Pereira A, Maia C. (2022). Non-endemic leishmaniases reported globally in humans between 2000 and 2021 – a comprehensive review. Pathogens, 11, 921.
3. Maia C, Ayhan N, Pereira A, Cristóvão J, Charrel R. (2022). Human seroprevalence of Toscana virus and Sicilian phlebovirus in the southwest of Portugal. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, 41:137-141.
4. Berriatua E, Maia C, Conceição C, Özbel Y, Seray Töz S, Baneth G, Pérez-Cutillas P, Ortuño M, Muñoz C, Jumakanova Z, Pereira A, Rocha R, Monge-Maillo B, Gasimov E, Stede Y, Torres G, Gossner C. (2021). Leishmaniases in European Union and neighboring countries. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 27: 1723-1727.
5. Berriatua E, Jumakanova Z, Muñoz C, Ortuño M, Pérez-Cutillas P, Conceição C, Maia C, Pereira A, Rocha R, Özbel Y, Töz S, Baneth G, Gasimov E, Van der Stede Y, Torres G, Gossner C. (2022). Surveillance, prevention and control of leishmaniases in the European Union and its neighbouring countries. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Technical report.