Elsio Wunder Jr

Dr. Wunder is an experienced veterinarian and microbiologist with significant expertise in molecular biology and infectious disease of public health interest. Dr. Wunder has more than 10 years of experience working in diagnostic reference laboratories for leptospirosis in Brazil, both in veterinary and public health settings. This experience has given him an in-depth understanding of the practical clinical laboratory issues as well as the challenges in leptospiral disease diagnosis and pre-clinical vaccine studies in experimental animal models. His PhD thesis, performed under the supervision of Dr. Albert Ko, and Dr. Mitermayer Reis, centered on translational research applications to identify Leptospiral determinants that enable the bacterium to penetrate and disseminate in the host. As part of this work he developed and evaluated qPCR-based DNA detection assays for clinical diagnosis, incorporated these methods in active laboratory-based surveillance for leptospirosis in the city of Salvador, and supervised the regional reference laboratory for leptospirosis to perform standard laboratory confirmation methods. He also developed an experimental model in hamsters to characterize the dissemination of Leptospira, quantify the pathogen load in host tissues during infection, and evaluate novel vaccine candidates.