Tirloni Research Group

The overall research objectives of the Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit (TPTU) focus on studying tick- feeding biology to understand how salivary gland and midgut proteins impact blood feeding and facilitate the establishment, replication, and transmission of pathogens. Our goal is to identify molecular pathways that can be used as targets for the development of effective anti-tick and/or pathogen-blocking strategies.

Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, 2024. Front Row (left to right): Jhenifer Nascimento da Silva, Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow; Chris Bosio, Microbiologist; Adéla Chlastáková, Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow. Back Row (left to right): Sazzad Mahmood, Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow; Lucas C. Sousa-Paula, Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow; Lucas Tirloni, Senior Investigator; Stephen Lu, Research Fellow.

Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, 2024. Front Row (left to right): Jhenifer Nascimento da Silva, Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow; Chris Bosio, Microbiologist; Adéla Chlastáková, Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow. Back Row (left to right): Sazzad Mahmood, Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow; Lucas C. Sousa-Paula, Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow; Lucas Tirloni, Senior Investigator; Stephen Lu, Research Fellow.

Credit: NIAID

Lucas Tirloni, Ph.D.

Chief, Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit
Tenure-Track Investigator

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Education:

Ph.D., Cellular and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
M.Sc., Cellular and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
B.Sc., Biomedical Science, Universidade de Cruz Alta, Brazil

Languages Spoken: Portuguese

Dr. Tirloni was born and raised in Brazil. He received his B.Sc. in biomedical science from Universidade de Cruz Alta, Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in 2009. He then earned his M.Sc. (2012) and Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology (2015) from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

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Christopher Bosio, Ph.D.

Microbiologist

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Education:

Ph.D., Microbiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
M.S., Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN
B.S., Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA

I am studying the correlation of morphometrics of the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis , with blood feeding and transmission of the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi . My main interests are in vector-borne disease transmission, vector ecology, and population genetics. Past postdoctoral research experience includes the population genetics and vector competence of the mosquito vector, Aedes...

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Adéla Chlastáková, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

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Education:

Ph.D., Infection Biology, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
M.Sc., Clinical Biology, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
B.Sc., Biomedical Laboratory Techniques, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic

Languages Spoken: Czech

Dr. Chlastáková’s research focuses on the role of tick salivary protease inhibitors, particularly serpins, at the tick-host interface. She is mainly interested in how tick proteins affect the host’s immune system and wound-healing responses. Learn more about Adéla Chlastáková, Ph.D.

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Adéla Chlastáková, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Stephen Lu, Ph.D.

Research Fellow

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Education:

Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil
M.Sc., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil
B.Sc., Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil

Languages Spoken: Portuguese

Dr. Lu was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. He earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the Federal University of São Paulo in 2019. Following his doctoral studies, he completed postdoctoral training in the Vector Biology Section at NIAID/NIH from 2019 to 2024. Dr. Lu’s research focuses on elucidating the roles of various proteins from hematophagous vectors, particularly in...

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Sazzad Mahmood, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

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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

I am studying salivary glands of hard tick Ixodes scapularis. Blood feeding has an impact on the physiology of salivary glands due to different factors. I am investigating this physiological change using single-cell RNA-Seq, RNA in-situ hybridization, phosphoproteomics, and spatial proteomics. Learn more about Sazzad Mahmood, Ph.D.

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Jhenifer Nascimento da Silva, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Contact: For contact information, search the NIH Enterprise Directory.

Education:

Ph.D., Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro City, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
M.Sc., Science, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Macae City, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
B.Sc., Biological Science, State University of Northern Rio de Janeiro Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes City, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Languages Spoken: Portuguese

Dr. Nascimento has expertise in the fields of biochemistry, molecular biology, and chemistry, with a focus on vector biology and the energy metabolism of pathogen-vectoring arthropods. She has been studying the processes of embryogenesis and oogenesis, exploring the metabolic pathways that regulate cellular function and organismal physiology. Currently, at NIAID, she has been involved in the...

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Lucas Christian de Sousa-Paula, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Contact: For contact information, search the NIH Enterprise Directory.

Education:

Ph.D., Biosciences and Biotechnology Applied in Health, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Brazil
M.Sc., Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Brazil
B.Sc., Biological Sciences, Univeridade Estadual Vale do Acaraú (UVA), Brazil

Languages Spoken: Portuguese

Dr. Sousa-Paula has expertise in arthropod vectors of health-threatening pathogens. In particular, he has studied phlebotomine sand flies and leishmanial parasites, with a background in population genetics, evolution, and bioinformatics. Additionally, he has collaborated on studies of other arthropod vectors (such as ticks) and pathogens (including Rickettsia spp. bacteria and Babesia spp. parasites), which has broadened his research interests to include various vectors, parasites, and diseases. Currently, he is a postdoctoral visiting fellow at the NIAID Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, MT, where he receives training in vector biology, focusing on tick species and their genomic and transcriptomic characteristics related to blood feeding.

Learn more about Lucas Christian de Sousa-Paula, Ph.D.

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Former Research Group Members

  • Markus Berger Oliveira, Ph.D., Researcher, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
     
  • Paula Terraciano, Ph.D., Researcher, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
     
  • Larissa Almeida Martins, Ph.D., Research Scientist, University of Nevada, Reno
     
  • Jan Kotal, Ph.D., Early-career investigator, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic
     
  • Gabriel Cerqueira Alves Costa, Ph.D, Postdoctoral Researcher, Escola Paulista de Medicina,  Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil
     
  • Pedro Machado Medeiros de Albuquerque, M.Sc., Ph.D. candidate, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
     
  • Ana Carolina Castro Santiago, M.Sc., Ph.D. candidate, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil
     
  • Eric Marialva, M.Sc., Ph.D. candidate, Instituto Leônidas & Maria Deane, Fiocruz Amazônia, Brazil
     
  • Andrei Abarientos, Undergraduate Student, University of Connecticut
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