Isabel L. Maurício

Isabel L. Maurício is Assistant Professor in Parasitology, at the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (IHMT/UNL), since 2010.

Isabel has a Biology degree from the University of Lisbon, Faculty of Sciences; and a PhD on the field of “Molecular Diversity Leishmanias” from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), University of London.

Researcher and teacher in Medical Helminthology and Parasitology and Coordinator of the PhD in Human Genetics and Infectious Diseases of the IHMT/UNL, she has also had supervisory, teaching and course coordination experience at the LSHTM.

Her research activities in the last 20 years, particularly at the LSHTM, have focused on leishmaniasis, particularly in topics related to its genetic diversity and recombination. She has developed molecular typing methods for Leishmania and conducted phylogenetic studies, as well as on its population genetics.

From 2010, at the IHMT, her research activities have expanded to helminths, particularly nematodes and trematodes. She has some interest in testing new compounds against helminths. At the moment, she works on in molecular epidemiology of helminths and Leishmania, as well as the role of recombination in their life cycles.

She has participated, including as co-coordinator, in various research projects in those areas, supervised several postgraduate degrees (MSc and PhdD. She also has an interest in gender issues and also leads a project for a network of Portuguese speaking women scientists in African countries.

IL Maurício is author/co-author of 40 peer reviewed publications and one book chapter.

My research activities in the last 20 years have focused on leishmaniasis, particularly in topics related to its genetic diversity and recombination. I have developed molecular typing methods for Leishmania and conducted phylogenetic studies, as well as on its population genetics.

From 2010 my research activities have expanded to helminths, particularly nematodes and trematodes.
I have some interest in testing new compounds against helminths.

At the moment, I work on molecular epidemiology of helminths and Leishmania, as well as the role of recombination in their life cycles. I have an interest in gender issues and also lead a project for a network of Portuguese speaking women scientists in African countries.

1. Boité MC, Mauricio IL, Miles MA, Cupolillo E. (2012) New insights on taxonomy, phylogeny and population genetics of Leishmania (Viannia) parasites based on multilocus sequence analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 6(11):e1888
2. Schönian G, Kuhls K, Mauricio IL (2010) Molecular approaches for a better understanding of the epidemiology and population genetics of Leishmania. Parasitology. 16:1-21
3. Schoenian G, Mauricio IL, Cupolillo E (2010) Is it time to revise the taxonomy of Leishmania? Trends in Parasitology 26(10):466-9.
4. Lukes J, Mauricio IL, Schonian G, Dujardin JC, Soteriadou K, Dedet JP, Kuhls K, Tintaya KW, Jirku M, Chocholova E, Haralambous C, Pratlong F, Obornik M, Horak A, Ayala FJ, Miles MA. (2007) Evolutionary and geographical history of the Leishmania donovani complex with a revision of current taxonomy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 104: 9375-9380
5. Mauricio IL, Gaunt MW, Stothard JR and Miles MA. (2007) Glycoprotein 63 (gp63) genes show gene conversion and reveal the evolution and host associations of Old World Leishmania. International Journal for Parasitology 37:565–576