The overall research objectives of the Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit (TPTU) focus on the study of tick salivary gland physiology and tick feeding biology to understand how salivary proteins support blood feeding and facilitate transmission of tick-borne pathogens. A deeper understanding of tick feeding biology is needed to discover weak links that can be targeted for effective development of anti-tick and/or pathogen-blocking vaccines.

Back row (left to right): Pedro Albuquerque, Lucas Tirloni, Jan Kotal. Front row (left to right): Markus Berger, Sazzad Mahmood, Larissa Martins.
Lucas Tirloni, Ph.D.
Tenure-track Investigator
Chief, Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit
Education:
Ph.D., 2015, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Pedro Machado Medeiros de Albuquerque, M.Sc. (He/Him/His)
Pre-doctoral Visiting Fellow
Education:
M.Sc., Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil
B.Sc., Biotechnology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil
Languages Spoken: Portuguese, Spanish
Learn more about Pedro Machado Medeiros de Albuquerque, M.Sc.

Markus Berger, Ph.D. (He/Him/His)
Research Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
M.Sc., Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Pharm.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Languages Spoken: Portuguese

Jan Kotál, Ph.D (He/Him/His)
Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
M.Sc., Experimental Biology, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
B.Sc., Biological Chemistry, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic and Johannes Kepler University, Australia
Languages Spoken: German, Czech

Sazzad Mahmood, Ph.D. (He/Him/His)
Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
M.Sc., University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
B.Sc., University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Languages Spoken: Bengali

Larissa Almeida Martins, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., University of São Paulo, Brazil
M.Sc., University of São Paulo, Brazil
Pharm.D., United Metropolitan Colleges São Paulo, Brazil
Languages Spoken: Portuguese, Spanish

Lucas Christian de Sousa-Paula, Ph.D. (He/Him/His)
Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Brazil
M.Sc., Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Brazil
B.Sc., Biologist, Univeridade Estadual Vale do Acaraú (UVA), Brazil
Languages Spoken: Portuguese
Former Research Group Members
Adela Chlastakova – Pre-doctoral visiting fellow (Ph.D. candidate at University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic).
Paula Terraciano, Ph.D. – Guest Researcher (Researcher, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil).