Maria Luísa Lobo da Costa

ML Lobo have started her scientific career developing research on human and animal microsporidiosis epidemiology in Portugal, that generated pioneering data on this area in the country, including the identification of a new species of microsporidia among the Portuguese population. Over time she has been expanding her scientific abilities and skills with several training/courses activities, including a intensive training on parasitological and molecular methodologies at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA. Since then, the applicant developed several research, teaching and diagnosis (parasitological, immunological and molecular) activities in the Infectious Diseases/Medical Parasitology area. The opportunistic parasites Toxoplasma gondii, Microsporidia, Cryptosporidium spp., Pneumocystis jirovecii are among the parasites studied. Also, ML Lobo carries out the diagnosis of the following diseases: Malaria (parasitological, serological and molecular biology methods); Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya (serological methods), intestinal protozoa (Giardia duodenalis, Entamoeba histolytica, Cyclospora cayetanensis, and Cystoisospora belli) (parasitological, serological, culture, and molecular biology methods); human American tripanosomiasis (parasitological, serological and molecular  biology methods);

The researcher interests and professional aspirations primarily involve the research and education in the areas of Opportunistic Protists, Molecular and Cell Biology, Molecular Epidemiology, Immunology, Bioinformatics analysis, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine. ML Lobo short-term career objectives intend consolidate partnerships with additional international and national Institutions of interest; exchanging technology and knowhow and promoting peer networking and data exchange on her main working area. Moreover, in the future aims of the researcher are included to carry out research projects whose main goal is the development, implementation and validation of new point-of-care diagnostic tests based on high-throughput technology (e.g. using biomarkers, molecular targets and/or nanotechnology) for the early detection of the above referred pathogens. Additionally, ML Lobo intends to assess opportunistic infections in migrants and travelers and promote an early detection and management of imported diseases and to expand cooperation for public health development in low-income environments associated with parasites.

1. Lobo ML, Patrocinio G, Sevivas T, De Sousa B e Matos O. Portugal and Angola: similarities and differences in Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence and risk factors among pregnant women. Epidemiology and Infection. January 2017; 145 (1): 30-40. doi: 10.1017/S0950268816001904 [FI= 2.515]
2. Lobo ML, Augusto J, Antunes F, Ceita J, Xiao L, Codices V, Matos O. Cryptosporidium, Giardia duodenalis, Enterocytozoon bieneusi and other intestinal parasites in young children in Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Principe. PLOS ONE. 2014; 9(5): e97708. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097708 [FI= 3.534 3.730; Times cited- 5]
3. Lobo ML, Esteves F, Sousa B. Cardoso F, Cushion MT, Antunes F, Matos O. Therapeutic potential of Caspofungin combined with Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole for Pneumocystis pneumonia: a pilot study in mice. PLOS ONE. 2013; 8(8):e70619. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070619 [FI= 3.534 3.730; Times cited- 5]
4. Lobo ML, Xiao L, Antunes F, Matos O. Microsporidia as emerging pathogens and the implication for public health: A 10-year study on HIV-positive and -negative patients. International Journal for Parasitology. 2012; 42(2):197-205. [FI= 3.872; Times cited- 25]
5. Matos O, Lobo ML. Enterocytozoon. In: Molecular Biology of Food and Water Borne Mycotoxigenic and Mycotic Fungi of Humans. R. Russel M. Paterson (editor). Food Microbiology Series (series editor: Dongyou Liu), CRC Press, 2015, Cap. 20, pp. 293-322.