Overview

Our working group works in a broad field of medical entomology focusing on viral pathogens and mosquitoes vectors. The group is the materialization of a collaboration between the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) and the BNITM. Dr. Freitas is an experienced researcher currently sponsored by Deutsch Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and Dr. Wallau is sponsored by CAPES-Brazil and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Our main research interests cover the ecology, genomics and evolution of mosquito-borne viruses in South America, a region that is highly impacted by annual waves of distinct arboviruses infection, such as dengue, zika, chikungunya or yellow fever. Arbovirus studies in endemic sites can provide reference models to predict the emergence and consequences of future outbreaks in Germany and Europe.