Vega-Rodriguez Research Group

The research goals in the Molecular Parasitology and Entomology Unit (MPEU) are to study the biology of the malaria parasite by characterizing essential vector-parasite and host-parasite interactions shaping malaria transmission. The long-term goal is to identify new targets that could be exploited for malaria interventions, including chemotherapy, vaccine development, and transgenic mosquitoes.

Photo of Vega-Rodriguez Research Group Members

Molecular Parasitology and Entomology Unit, May 2022: (left to right) Joel Vega-Rodriguez, Principal Investigator; Medard Ernest Kaiza, Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow (former member); Zarna Rajeshkumar Pala, Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow (former member); Francis Monique de Souza Saraiva, Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow; Thiago Luiz Alves e Silva, Research Fellow; and Brendan Sweeney, Postbaccalaureate Trainee (former member).

Credit: NIAID

Joel Vega-Rodriguez, Ph.D.

Earl Stadtman Investigator, NIH Distinguished Scholar
Chief, Molecular Parasitology and Entomology Unit

Education:

Ph.D., 2008, Rio Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico, San Juan

Dr. Joel Vega-Rodriguez received his Ph.D. in molecular biology in 2008 at the Rio Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan. In 2009, he joined the laboratory of Dr. Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, where he did his postdoctoral training and later became a research associate. In 2018, Dr. Vega-Rodriguez became a Stadtman tenure-track investigator in the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research.

Learn more about Joel Vega-Rodriguez, Ph.D.

Joel Vega-Rodriguez, Ph.D.

Thiago Luiz Alves e Silva, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Education:

M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Microbiology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) (2012), Rio de Janeiro

Languages Spoken: Portuguese

Thiago is a Staff Scientist in the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research. His research focuses on vector-borne diseases and host-pathogen interactions. He has worked for more than 10 years on the interaction of the malaria parasite with mosquitoes at different stages of parasite development. He combines cutting-edge technologies such as confocal microscopy, multi-omic approaches, and reverse...

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Emily Bencosme-Cuevas, Ph.D.

IRTA Research Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, 2023, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX

Languages Spoken: Spanish

Dr. Emily Bencosme-Cuevas is passionate about vector-borne diseases, vector-host-pathogen interactions, and vaccine research and development. She began her research by studying the immune system of the Lone Star tick and continued during her Ph.D., focusing on the black-legged tick and the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi. After years of contributing to the tick research community, she...

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Rohit Chebbi, M.Sc.

Postbaccalaureate IRTA Fellow

Education:

M.Sc., 2024, BITS Pilani University, Goa, India

Languages Spoken: Kannada, Hindi

Rohit is working closely with his Molecular Parasitology and Entomology Unit colleague, Dr. Thiago Luiz Alves e Silva, to study interactions of the malaria parasite with proteins from the mosquito hemolymph and the role of these interactions during parasite transmission. He earned an integrated Master of Science in biological sciences from BITS Pilani University, India in 2024 and pursued his...

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Francis Monique de Souza Saraiva, Ph.D.

Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Biosciences, emphasis in Biochemistry, 2019, Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil

M.Sc., Biosciences, emphasis in Biochemistry, 2015, Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil

B.Sc., Biology, 2012, Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil

Languages Spoken: Portuguese

Since her B.Sc., Dr. Francis M. de Souza Saraiva has developed projects about vector-borne diseases and the role of blood byproducts on the parasite-vector interaction. In 2022, she joined the laboratory of Dr. Joel Vega-Rodriguez in the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research as a Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow, where she is investigating the role of blood byproducts on the malaria parasite...

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Renuka Elizabeth Joseph, Ph.D.

Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., 2023, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA

Sc.M., 2016, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD

B.Tech, 2013, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
 

Languages Spoken: Malayalam

My research interests focus on understanding vector-pathogen interactions and developing therapeutics to combat these pathogens within their vectors. In the Vega-Rodriguez lab, my project involves identifying, characterizing, and developing mosquito salivary proteins, particularly apyrase, with the goal of creating a malaria transmission-blocking vaccine or prophylactic.

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Portion King, M.S.

Biologist

Education:

M.S., Translational Microbiology, 2020, George Washington University, District of Columbia

Portion is currently in the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, working as a Mosquito Specialist. In this position she is culturing the gametocycte stage of Plasmodium falciparum for several different assays and development to further the understanding of how the mosquito vector transmits the malaria parasite and to explore novel interventions and therapeutics to prevent transmission of the...

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Heather Michelle Kudyba, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral fellow

My research focuses on implementing various conditional knockdown/knockout systems to study essential genes in the mosquito midgut stage of Plasmodium falciparum.

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Former Research Group Members

Tales Pascini, Ph.D., Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow, currently at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Yeong Je Jeong, M.S., Postbaccalaureate, currently at George Washington Medical School

Janet Olivas, B.S., Postbaccalaureate, currently a Graduate Student at New York University

Brendan Sweeney, B.S., Postbaccalaureate, currently at George Washington Medical School

Malika Saxena, B.S., Postbaccalaureate

Kelly, Hanner, B.S., Postbaccalaureate Trainee

Medard Ernest Kaiza, Ph.D., Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow

Zarna Rajeshkumar Pala, Ph.D., Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow

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