WG1: Blastocystis epidemiology and diagnostics

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.