Keynote Speakers
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Carlos Morillo, MD
University of Calgary, Libin Cardiovascular Institute.
Cumming School of Medicine Division of Cardiology, Cardiac Electrophysiology & Pacing Section Syncope & Autonomic Dysfunction Unit
University of Calgary Health Research Innovation Centre
Dr. Carlos Morillo is a cardiologist, electrophysiologist, professor of cardiac sciences at the Cumming School of Medicine, and the Cardiology Division Chief of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta. As the PI of the BENEFIT trial, his main research interests include the development of clinical trials in the area of cardiac arrhythmias, syncope and treatment of Chagas Disease.
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Pierre Buekens, MD PhD
Tulane University
Pierre Buekens' research focuses on reproductive epidemiology, with a special interest in congenital Chagas Disease, and he is the director of the Tulane Center for Emerging Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology (CERPE). He has worked extensively in Latin America and together with other researchers, he co-founded Trop-G, a collaboration working to control and eliminate NTDs in high-risk areas around the Gulf of Mexico.
Speakers and Moderators
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Claudia Herrera, PhD
Chairwoman and Organizer
Tulane University
Dr. Claudia Herrera is an Assistant Professor at Tulane University. She is a molecular parasitologist, working to strengthen surveillance and implementation of diagnostic tools in both endemic and non-endemic regions.
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Luisa Fernanda Aguilera Mora, MD
Centro Cardiovascular Puerta de Hierro, Guadalajara
Dr. Luisa Aguilera Mora is a cardiologist in Jalisco, Mexico. She is the founder of Salvando Latidos, and the director of heart failure at CCPH Guadalajara.
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Igor Almeida, PhD
The University of Texas at El Paso
Dr. Igor Almeida is a professor at the UT El Paso. He researches the structure analysis and immunological and biological role of GPI-anchored glycoconjugates of T. cruzi, trying to understand how the parasite modulates and evades the host immune response.
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Enrique A. Berrios-Barcenas MD, PhD, MSc
National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez
Dr. Enrique Berrios is an internist and cardiologist with subspecialty expertise in cardiac imaging and cardiomyopathies. He is the Head of the Outpatient Department and Coordinator of the Cardiomyopathy Clinic at the National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Yves Carlier, MD PhD
Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
Dr. Yves Carlier is a researcher and professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and Coordinator of the WHO Technical Group on Congenital Chagas Disease. He specializes in immunoparasitology, honing in on the mechanisms of vertical transmission.
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Cintia Cruz, MD DPhil
Toronto Sick Children’s Hospital
Dr. Cintia Cruz is a pediatrician in Toronto, ON, Canada. Interested in understanding the pharmacometric determinants of efficacy in the treatment of Chagas disease, Cintia’s main areas of research include Chagas disease, clinical pharmacology, and pharmacometrics.
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Eric Dumonteil, PhD
Tulane University
Dr. Eric Dumonteil is a professor at Tulane University. His specialties are in immunoparasitology, vector ecology, and vaccine development.
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Luis Echeverria, MD
Cardiovascular Foundation of Colombia
Dr. Luis Echeverria is a cardiologist who specializes in cardiac failure and transplantation.
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Priscila Silva Grijo Farani, PhD
The University of Texas at El Paso
Dr. Priscila Farani is an assistant professor at UT El Paso. She is a translational scientist specializing in molecular biology, immunology, and biomarker discovery for neglected tropical diseases, with a focus on Chagas Disease.
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Robert Gilman, MD
Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Robert Gilman has an extensive history of researching infectious disease control, including screening and risk factor identification for congenital Chagas Disease.
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Salvador Hernández, MD
Kaiser Permanente; Center of Excellence for Chagas Disease
Dr. Salvador Hernandez is a cardiologist, working on Chagas clinical research, physician awareness, and community screening efforts.
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Kathryn Jones, DVM PhD
Baylor College of Medicine
Dr. Kathryn Jones is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, and Molecular Virology and Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. She is also the Director of the Pre-Clinical Testing Unit at the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, and the Technical Lead for the Chagas Vaccine Initiative.
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Rosa A. Maldonado, DSc
The University of Texas at El Paso
Dr. Rosa Maldonado is a professor at UT El Paso. Her research focuses on developing novel immune- and chemotherapy tools to treat Chagas disease and leishmaniasis.
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Rachel Marcus, MD
LASOCHA
Dr. Rachel Marcus is a cardiologist and current medical director of the non-profit organization Latin American Society of Chagas (LASOCHA). She boasts a longstanding commitment to working with under served communities in the U.S. and abroad.
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David Martin, MD
Harvard Medical School
Dr. David Martin is a practitioner of cardiac electrophysiology, focused on a holistic approach to patient-centric management across the broad range of cardiac arrhythmias. Dr. Martin’s research interests have been concentrated on device-based therapies of arrhythmia, with a special interest in Chagas Disease.
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Hector Medina, MD MPH
Texas Heart Institute for Cardiovascular Health
Dr. Hector Medina is an expert in cardiac imaging, and is the current Section Head of Advanced Cardiac Imaging – Cardiac Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at the Texas Heart Institute. He is a leader in the use of CT and MRI to diagnose chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.
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Maria Nunes, MD PhD
Federal University of Minas Gerais
Dr. Maria Nunes is an expert in Chagas Disease diagnosis and management. She has worked extensively on using cardiac imaging to evaluate patient prognosis and treatment efficacy.
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Alex Pacheco Bouthillier
Sociedad Interamericana de Cardiología
Dr. Alex Pacheco is a cardiologist in Guadalajara, Mexico. He is an expert in cardiac insufficiency, complex arrhythmias, and electrophysiology.
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María Jesús Pinazo, MD
DNDi
Dr. María Jesús Pinazo is a Spanish physician and the Head of Chagas Disease at DNDi. Her main line of work and research is tropical and imported diseases, and her past research has focused on detection and diagnosis of Chagas in pregnant women and their babies in Latin America.
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Antonio Ribeiro, MD PhD
Federal University of Minas Gerais
Dr. Antonio Ribeiro is Full Professor of Internal Medicine and the Head of Research and Innovation and of the Cardiology Service of the University Hospital at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, in Brazil.
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Javier Sancho Más, MSc
Chagas Disease Coalition
Javier Sancho Más started wirking with Chagas Disease in 2003. He is a teacher at ESADE University, Barcelona, and coordinates the Chagas Disease Global Coalition. He is also co-author of Chagas Disease, a neglected tropical disease, Springer, 2021 and recently the Children Book of real stories with Doctors Without Borders, Tres niños sin fronteras.
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Freddy Tinajeros, PhD
Dr. Freddy Tinajeros is a project coordinator and professor in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. He has participated in the implementation of studies in congenital Chagas, Chagasic cardiomyopathies, and Tuberculosis.