GHTM

Global Health and Tropical Medicine

  • GHTM
    • Vision
    • Mission
    • Governance
    • Scientific Advisory Board
  • News
    • Outreach
    • Events
      • GHTM Sessions
      • Workshops
    • Articles
    • Jobs
  • Research
    • Cross-cutting issues
      • Global Pathogen Dispersion and Population Mobility
      • Drug Discovery and Drug Resistance
      • Diagnostics
      • Public Health Information
      • Fair Research Partnerships
    • Research Groups
      • PPS – Population health, policies and services
      • THOP – TB, HIV and opportunistic diseases and pathogens
      • VBD – Vector borne diseases and pathogens
      • IHC – Individual health care
    • Research in numbers
      • 2020
      • 2019
      • 2018
      • 2017
    • Projects
      • Ongoing Projects
    • Members
      • Population health, policies and services
        • PPS PhD members
        • PPS non PhD members
      • TB, HIV and opportunistic diseases and pathogens
        • THOP PhD members
        • THOP non PhD members
      • Vector-borne diseases and pathogens
        • VBD PhD members
        • VBD non PhD members
      • Individual Health Care
        • IHC PhD members
        • IHC non PhD members
      • Technical / administrative support
  • Publications
  • Education
    • Master Theses
    • PhD Theses
  • Services
Home / Perfis / Silvana Belo
  • +351 213 652 600
  • +351 213 632 105
  • Download CV
  • Orcid
  • NOVA Research

Silvana Belo

Associate Professor

Grupo GHTM: VBD PhD members, Vector-borne diseases and pathogens

ProfileResearchTop 5 Publications

Silvana Belo is Associate Professor, Medical Parasitology Unit Medical Helminthology and Malacology Group Global Health and Tropical Medicine at the Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (UNL), Portugal and member of the Global Health & Tropical Medicine Centre. She has a Pharmacy degree from the University of Coimbra (1978), MSc in Medical Parasitology (IHMT/UNL, 1990) and PhD in Biomedical Sciences (IHMT/UNL, 2000). She has post-graduation in Clinical Pathology (Hospital de Egas Moniz, Lisbon) and in Tropical Medicine & Public Health (IHMT/UNL). Her teaching activities are extended to post-graduation courses (MSc and PhD) in Africa and Brazil.   Her main research areas are addressed to immunoepidemiology, diagnosis, therapeutic compounds and control approaches mainly focused on schistosomiasis, filariasis and zoonotic helminthiasis, both in the field and laboratory as well as in experimental studies.

Research ID: J-8555-2012

CIÊNCIAVITAE: ID E416-E707-346B

She develops her activities in the Medical Helminthology group, which is centred on three research areas: knowledge of disease and transmission, drug resistance and improved diagnostics. To improve understanding of the biology of helminths, their vectors and intermediate hosts, we conduct molecular diversity and molecular epidemiology studies for snail-borne (schistosomiasis, fascioliasis) and vector-borne diseases (lymphatic filariasis and dirofilariasis, including their Wolbachia symbionts) as well in concurrent infections. Our goal is to determine the genetic diversity within helminth populations and their relationship with host pathology, bio-ecology and prevalence both in mainland Portugal and African countries (e.g. Angola, Cape Verde). Our research on drug resistance has been focused on schistosomiasis due to its significance for control programmes. The objective is to identify the mechanisms, genes involved and genetic markers of praziquantel (PZQ) resistance in laboratory sensitive and resistance strains and detect their presence in natural populations, such as in Angola and Mozambique.  We also conduct evaluation of plant extracts for use in the control of schistosomiasis at the intermediate host stage. Finally, we are also involved in development of new molecular tools for sensitive and specific diagnosis of helminth infections and species characterization.

 

  1. Pinto-Almeida A, Mendes T, Ferreira P, Abecasis A, Belo S, Anibal F, Allegretti S, Galinaro C, Carrilho E, Afonso A (2021). A Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Praziquantel-Susceptible and Praziquantel-Resistant Schistosoma mansoniReveals Distinct Response Between Male and Female Animals. Frontiers in Tropical Diseases, 21  https://doi.org/10.3389/fitd.2021.664642
  2. Alho AM, Ferreira P, Clemente I, Grácio MAA, Belo S (2021). Human Toxocariasis in Portugal—An Overview of a Neglected Zoonosis over the Last Decade (2010–2020). Infectious Disease Reports2021, 13: 938-948. https://doi.org/10.3390/idr13040086
  3. Gómez-Morales MA, Pezzotti P, Ludovisi A et al (2021). Collaborative studies for the detection of Taenia infections in humans within Cystinet, the European network on taeniosis/cysticercosis. Microorganisms29 ;9(6):1173. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061173
  4. Hanscheid T, Vieira S, Ferreira P, Carvalho T, Belo S, Grobusch MP (2020). The fluorescent acid-fast stain, auramine-O, stains schistosome eggs and may be an aid for detection. An old technique with a useful future? Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 35:101569. DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2020101569
  5. Ferreira C, Afonso A, Calado M, Maurício I, Alho AM, Meireles J, Madeira de Carvalho L, Belo S. (2017). Molecular characterization of Dirofilaria spp. circulating in Portugal. Parasites & Vectors, 10:250. doi: 10.1186/s13071-017-2180-y

 

About GHTM

GHTM is a R&D Center that brings together researchers from IHMT with a track record in Tropical Medicine and International/Global Health. It aims at strengthening Portugal's role as a leading partner in the development and implementation of a global health research agenda. Our evidence-based interventions contribute to the promotion of equity in health and to improve the health of populations.

Contacts

Rua da Junqueira, 100
1349-008 Lisboa
Portugal
+351 213 652 600
+351 213 632 105

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Subscribe Newsletter

  • How to get to GHTM/IHMT
  • GHTM Sessions
  • Research Groups
  • Cross-cutting issues
© Copyright 2023 IHMT-UNL Todos os Direitos Reservados.
  • Universidade Nova de Lisboa
  • Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

    Project UID/Multi/04413/2013