Please complete our questionnaire: Mapping Blastocystis epidemiology and diagnostics
Objectives
- To map and compare the practices and explanatory criteria used by diagnostic and research laboratories across Europe for isolation, identification and subtyping of Blastocystis
- to investigate the epidemiology of Blastocystis in Europe, using newly established generic guidelines and criteria
Team Leaders
Funda Dogruman Al
Position: Lead
Affiliation: Gazi University
Research interests: Dogruman Al is a clinical microbiologist in conventional, immunodiagnostic, and molecular diagnosis of gastrointestinal tract and blood-tissue parasites in humans. Her research area is mainly the diagnosis of Blastocystis and Dientamoba fragilis, their clinical importance, their relationship with the intestinal microbiome, and determination of Blastocystis subtypes.
David Carmena
Position:Co-Lead WP1
Affiliation: Spanish National Centre for Microbiology
Research interests: David’s research focuses on zoonotic diseases caused by protist (Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Entamoeba, Dientamoeba, Balantioides, Blastocystis, Enterocytozoon, Encephalitozoon) and helminth (Echinococcus) species, with a particular interest in those aspects related to the diagnosis, epidemiology, transmission dynamics, and zoonotic potential of these pathogens, both from the human and animal health perspective.
Isabel Guadano Procesi
Position: WG1 ECR Lead
Affiliation: Parasitology Unit, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Clinical Science and Translational Medicine Department, Italy
Research Interest: Isabel’s research area covers zoonotic gastrointestinal protists (Giardia, Blastocystis, Cryptosporidium, Dientamoeba and Enterocytozoon) and Free-living Amoebae (genus Acanthamoeba).
Eylem Akdur Öztürk
Position: WG1 ECR Lead
Affiliation: Çukurova University. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Sarıçam / Adana/ Türkiye
Research Interest: Eylem Akdur Öztürk is a medical parasitologist focusing on the diagnosis and epidemiology of zoonotic parasitic infections. Especially in recent years, she has focused on investigating the transmission dynamics of zoonotic protozoa infections, mainly Blastocystis, with One Health Approach.
Ana M. Figueiredo
Position: WG1 ECR Lead
Affiliation: University of Aveiro, Portugal
Research Interest: Ana is an ecologist and parasitologist focusing her research on different protist (Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Blastocystis, Enterocytozoon) and helminth (Toxoplasma, Ancylostoma) parasites. Her research interests are focused on the transmission dynamics between wild and domestic species and their zoonotic potential and entailed risks for public health.