WIMANET interviews

Marcela Suárez-Rubio

Meet Dr. Marcela Suárez-Rubio, Senior Researcher at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria. With years of experience in landscape ecology, her work has focused on spatio-temporal patterns and the processes shaping ecosystems. More recently, she has incorporated a parasitological perspective into her research, studying the effects of global change on the transmission of haemosporidian parasites.
As part of WG4, Marcela highlights how WIMANET connects researchers from diverse fields, fostering collaboration across disciplines and career stages. Through the network, she attended a summer school with intensive training in hematology and parasite identification. She emphasizes WIMANET’s value for early-career researchers, offering opportunities like Short-Term Scientific Missions, workshops, and conference support to gain experience, share research, and build networks.

Misa Shimizu

Meet Misa Shimizu, a second-year PhD student at the Nature Research Centre in Lithuania, originally from Japan. Her research focuses on avian haemosporidian parasites in birds from The Gambia, using microscopy and molecular techniques to study parasite diversity and host–parasite relationships, particularly within Haemoproteus species.
Through WIMANET, Misa received a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) grant that allowed her to carry out a research stay in the UK. Being a member of WIMANET has helped her exchange ideas, connect with new colleagues, and gain additional motivation for her research as a PhD student.

Carolina Chagas

This interview features Dr. Carolina Chagas, Senior Researcher at the Nature Research Centre in Vilnius, Lithuania. Her research focuses on vector–parasite relationships, spatio-temporal variation, and the diversity of haemosporidian parasites. Within WIMANET, she also serves as co-leader of WG3. In the interview, she highlights the importance of networking and participating in conferences and Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) to build collaborations and advance research. She also contributed to the organization of the last WIMANET Summer School and participated in an STSM in Seville (Spain), which helped develop a scientific paper and start planning the next Summer School.
Her experience shows how collaboration and active participation in scientific networks can open new opportunities for researchers at all stages of their careers.

Erika Braga

This interview features Dr. Erika Braga, Professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil and leader of an interdisciplinary malaria research group at her university. For more than 20 years, Erika and her team have been studying haemosporidian parasites in a wide range of wild species across different ecosystems. Recently, her group has expanded its research to include malaria parasites in reptiles, conducting pioneering studies on their prevalence and diversity in these hosts. In addition, Erika is investigating plasma biomarkers in hosts—mainly birds—that may indicate susceptibility to infection and their association with coinfections, such as filarial parasites.
In this interview, Erika highlights the importance of collaboration in science and strongly advocates for the active participation of non-European researchers and young scientists in international networks such as WIMANET.

Ana Irina Martín López

This interview features Ana Irina Martín López, a PhD student at the Doñana Biological Station in Seville, Spain. Ana Irina’s research focuses on characterizing the factors that influence the transmission dynamics of avian malaria and other pathogens in mosquitoes and birds like West Nile virus. Her work examines both intrinsic factors, such as uropygial gland secretions and life history traits, and extrinsic factors, including environmental conditions and the composition of host and vector communities.
As an early career researcher, Ana Irina sees WIMANET as an exciting opportunity to meet new researchers, participate in Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) to exchange ideas and methodologies, and foster collaborations. She is also eager to connect with experts in the field, gaining insights that can strengthen her work, setting a strong foundation for her future career in wildlife disease ecology.

Vaidas Palinauskas

This interview features Vaidas Palinauskas, chief researcher at the Nature Research Centre in Vilnius, Lithuania. Vaidas works on haemosporidian parasites, with a particular focus on avian malaria parasites. His research includes species identification, the study of host–parasite interactions, and other key aspects needed to understand the dynamics of these infections in wildlife.
In this interview, Vaidas highlights that his main motivation for joining WIMANET was to build connections and to have a platform to share his experience with the new generation of researchers, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and networking with researchers from other countries.

Kasun H. Bodawatta

This interview features Kasun H. Bodawatta, the leader of Working Group 5 “Drivers of spatiotemporal variation in multi-host-parasite communities”. Kasun is a community ecologist and postdoctoral researcher affiliated with the University of Copenhagen and Lund University.
Kasun’s research focuses on the interactions between vertebrate hosts, their microbiomes, and malaria parasites. He is particularly interested in understanding how the microbiome modulates the immune system and contributes to the defence of wild birds against avian malaria. In this interview, Kasun explains that his main motivation for joining WIMANET was his strong interest in deepening his knowledge of parasitology and expanding his professional network.

Josué Martínez de la Puente

We start with Josué Martínez-de la Puente, the leader of Working Group 3: “Vector transmission success in wildlife malaria”. He is a PI working at the Doñana Biological Station in Seville, Spain, studying how different vector characteristics — such as their microbiome, diets, or environment — can influence the transmission of avian malaria.
Here, Josué talks about his research on the role of mosquitoes in transmitting avian malaria parasites and shares how being part of WIMANET has benefited him and his team.