Alessandra Orfano
Associate Research Scientist in Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)DownloadHi-Res Photo
Cards
Additional Titles
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Contact Info
About
Titles
Associate Research Scientist in Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Biography
Dr. Orfano is an Associate Research Scientist in the department of Epidemiology and Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health. She receive her master's degree (2012) and Phd (2016) in Health Sciences from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil. During her PhD program she received an one year fellowship to develop part of her PhD training outside of Brazil and she spent one year at Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research- NIH. After finishing her PhD, she continued her training as post doc and in 2019 she joined the Yale School of Public Health as a postdoctoral associate, and in 2021 she became a junior faculty at the EMD-YSPH.
Dr. Orfano's research is focused on understanding the parasite vector interaction dynamic. She is currently working on Genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum and how this can affect the transmission to the Anopheles mosquito.
Appointments
Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
Associate Research ScientistPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral fellowship
- Rene Rachou Research Institute, Fiocruz (2019)
- PhD
- Rene Rachou Research Institute-FIOCRUZ, Health Science (2016)
- Visiting Fellow - PhD
- in National Institutes of Health (2015)
- MSc
- Rene Rachou Research Institute-FIOCRUZ, Health Science (2012)
- BSc
- Bachelor in Biology. Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais- Brazil. (2009)
Research
Overview
Public Health Interests
Malaria; Vector Biology; Vector-borne Diseases
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Alessandra Orfano's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Alessandra Orfano's research output by year.
Brian Weiss, PhD
Sunil Parikh, MD, MPH
22Publications
115Citations
Publications
2022
Repeatability and reproducibility of a handheld quantitative G6PD diagnostic
Ley B, Satyagraha A, Kibria MG, Armstrong J, Bancone G, Bei AK, Bizilj G, Brito M, Ding XC, Domingo GJ, von Fricken ME, Gornsawun G, Lam B, Menard D, Monteiro W, Ongarello S, Pal S, Panggalo LV, Parikh S, Pfeffer DA, Price RN, da Silva Orfano A, Wade M, Wojnarski M, Worachet K, Yar A, Alam MS, Howes RE. Repeatability and reproducibility of a handheld quantitative G6PD diagnostic. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2022, 16: e0010174. PMID: 35176015, PMCID: PMC8853557, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010174.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
2021
Phenotypic traits of individuals in a long-term colony of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) aquasalis (Diptera: Culicidae) show variable susceptibility to Plasmodium and suggest cryptic speciation.
Rodrigues NB, Villegas LEM, Duarte APM, Orfanó AS, Dos Anjos Costa B, Nacif Pimenta R, Lacerda MVG, Monteiro WM, Secundino NFC, Pimenta PFP. Phenotypic traits of individuals in a long-term colony of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) aquasalis (Diptera: Culicidae) show variable susceptibility to Plasmodium and suggest cryptic speciation. Acta Tropica 2021, 224: 106129. PMID: 34509458, DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106129.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDengue and Zika virus infection patterns vary among Aedes aegypti field populations from Belo Horizonte, a Brazilian endemic city
Godoy RSM, dos Santos Felix L, da Silva Orfanó A, Chaves BA, Nogueira PM, dos Anjos Costa B, Soares AS, Oliveira CCA, Nacif-Pimenta R, Silva BM, Duarte AP, de Lacerda M, Monteiro WM, Secundino NFC, Pimenta PFP. Dengue and Zika virus infection patterns vary among Aedes aegypti field populations from Belo Horizonte, a Brazilian endemic city. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021, 15: e0009839. PMID: 34727099, PMCID: PMC8562804, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009839.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsViral loadDengue virusZika virusSalivary glandsInfection phaseInfection patternsPublic health systemAegypti field populationsHealth districtArboviral infectionsLate infection phaseInfected personsAedes aegypti field populationsViral infectionEndemic regionsEndemic cityInfection rateInfectionHealth systemMosquito responsesMosquito populationsZika outbreakVirusBlood mealVector competenceBrazilian Aedes aegypti as a Competent Vector for Multiple Complex Arboviral Coinfections.
Rodrigues NB, Godoy RSM, Orfano AS, Chaves BA, Campolina TB, Costa BDA, Félix LDS, Silva BM, Norris DE, Pimenta PFP, Secundino NFC. Brazilian Aedes aegypti as a Competent Vector for Multiple Complex Arboviral Coinfections. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2021, 224: 101-108. PMID: 33544850, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab066.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchParatransgenic manipulation of a tsetse microRNA alters the physiological homeostasis of the fly’s midgut environment
Yang L, Weiss BL, Williams AE, Aksoy E, de Silva Orfano A, Son JH, Wu Y, Vigneron A, Karakus M, Aksoy S. Paratransgenic manipulation of a tsetse microRNA alters the physiological homeostasis of the fly’s midgut environment. PLOS Pathogens 2021, 17: e1009475. PMID: 34107000, PMCID: PMC8216540, DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009475.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsGut lumenCurrent disease control methodsTsetse's PMMidgut environmentTsetse's abilityAbundant secretory proteinsPeritrophic matrixInfection outcomesTrypanosome infection prevalenceChemotherapeutic treatmentParatransgenic manipulationInfected peopleEtiological agentInfection prevalenceInfectionInfection establishmentParasitic African trypanosomesCardiaSignificant increaseNon-coding RNAsPhysiological homeostasisMolecular cascadesBlood digestionSmall non-coding RNAsParatransgenic tsetse
2020
Ultrastructure of the Antennae and Sensilla of Nyssomyia intermedia (Diptera: Psychodidae), Vector of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.
Fernandes FF, Barletta ABF, Orfanó AS, Pinto LC, Nacif-Pimenta R, Miranda JC, Secundino NFC, Bahia AC, Pimenta PFP. Ultrastructure of the Antennae and Sensilla of Nyssomyia intermedia (Diptera: Psychodidae), Vector of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. Journal Of Medical Entomology 2020, 57: 1722-1734. PMID: 32761144, PMCID: PMC7899269, DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa124.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2019
Microanatomy of the American Malaria Vector Anopheles aquasalis (Diptera: Culicidae: Anophelinae) Midgut: Ultrastructural and Histochemical Observations.
Baia-da-Silva DC, Orfanó AS, Nacif-Pimenta R, de Melo FF, Guerra MGVB, Lacerda MVG, Monteiro WM, Pimenta PFP. Microanatomy of the American Malaria Vector Anopheles aquasalis (Diptera: Culicidae: Anophelinae) Midgut: Ultrastructural and Histochemical Observations. Journal Of Medical Entomology 2019, 56: 1636-1649. PMID: 31321415, PMCID: PMC6821279, DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz114.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDifferential responses of epithelial cells from urinary and biliary tract to eggs of Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni
Nacif-Pimenta R, da Silva Orfanó A, Mosley IA, Karinshak SE, Ishida K, Mann VH, Coelho PMZ, da Costa JMC, Hsieh MH, Brindley PJ, Rinaldi G. Differential responses of epithelial cells from urinary and biliary tract to eggs of Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni. Scientific Reports 2019, 9: 10731. PMID: 31341177, PMCID: PMC6656753, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46917-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSchistosome eggsEpithelial cellsS. haematobiumS. mansoniUrothelial cellsS. mansoni eggsS. haematobium eggsSquamous cell carcinomaCell proliferative responsesGroup 1 carcinogenHepatointestinal schistosomiasisPeriportal fibrosisBiliary tractMansoni eggsCell carcinomaChronic infectionUrogenital schistosomiasisEstrogen receptorProliferative responseDefinitive causeSchistosoma haematobiumNormal urotheliumHuman epithelial cellsMesenchymal transitionS. japonicumVertical Transmission of Zika Virus (Flaviviridae, Flavivirus) in Amazonian Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Delays Egg Hatching and Larval Development of Progeny
Chaves BA, Vieira A, Silveira KRD, da Costa Paz A, da Costa Vaz E, Araujo RGP, Rodrigues NB, Campolina TB, da Silva Orfano A, Nacif-Pimenta R, Villegas LEM, de Melo F, de Mello Silva B, Monteiro WM, Guerra M, de Lacerda M, Norris DE, Secundino NFC, Pimenta PFP. Vertical Transmission of Zika Virus (Flaviviridae, Flavivirus) in Amazonian Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Delays Egg Hatching and Larval Development of Progeny. Journal Of Medical Entomology 2019, 56: 1739-1744. PMID: 31278737, PMCID: PMC6821368, DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz110.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsZika virusQuantitative polymerase chain reactionEffects of ZIKVZIKV-infected mosquitoesVirus-free colonyZIKV infectionPolymerase chain reactionVirus exposureZIKV transmissionOral infectionZIKV strainsInfectious bloodmealAedes aegyptiControl mosquitoesC6/36 cellsVertical transmissionChain reactionVirusViable virusInfected eggsImportant arbovirusesInfectionEpidemiological roleMosquitoesVTThe Midgut Muscle Network of Anopheles aquasalis (Culicidae, Anophelinae): Microanatomy and Structural Modification After Blood Meal and Plasmodium vivax (Haemosporida, Plasmodiidae) Infection.
Baia-da-Silva DC, Orfanó AS, Nacif-Pimenta R, de Melo FF, Simões S, Cabral I, Lacerda MVG, Guerra MDGB, Monteiro WM, Secundino NFC, Pimenta PFP. The Midgut Muscle Network of Anopheles aquasalis (Culicidae, Anophelinae): Microanatomy and Structural Modification After Blood Meal and Plasmodium vivax (Haemosporida, Plasmodiidae) Infection. Journal Of Medical Entomology 2019, 56: 421-431. PMID: 30508123, DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy199.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
Honors
honor KL2 award
07/01/2023Yale University AwardYale Center for Clinical InvestigationDetailsUnited States