Tereza Magalhaes
Principal Investigator
Tereza is a vector biologist with a B.S. in Biology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC-MG), Brazil, and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Parasitology from the University of Miami. Throughout her career, she has researched various aspects of mosquito-transmitted pathogens using malaria, filariasis, and arboviral disease study models. Her projects involve aspects of mosquito-pathogen-vertebrate host interactions, and disease epidemiology and ecology. She joined Texas A&M as an Assistant Professor in January 2023, and her current research program focuses on understanding the transmission cycle of Madariaga virus and its potential as a health threat, the impact of host factors on arbovirus transmission by mosquitoes, and the epidemiology of arboviruses by studying human cohorts.
Xiao Liang
Postdoc
​Xiao holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology from Michigan State University, an M.S. in Comparative Pathology from UC Davis, and a B.S. in Biotechnology from the University of Reading, UK. His previous work focused on Wolbachia-based vector control strategies. At Texas A&M University, he is carrying out projects involving mosquito-arbovirus interactions and different aspects of Madariaga virus transmission.
Sam Cerezo
Master's Student
Sam holds a Bachelor's of Science from Texas A&M with a double major in Biomedical Sciences and Entomology as well as a minor in public health. From Texas A&M, he also holds a certificate in Public Health Entomology. His thesis project involves assessing the cross-protection level of eastern equine encephalitis virus vaccines against Madariaga virus.