Mario Grijalva, Ph.D.

     Infectious diseases are not isolated anomalies found in nature. They are an evidence of the continuous interaction between organisms and their constant struggle for survival. These interactions take place from the molecular level to the community level. My research involves an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to infectious diseases.

     My interests include research in my laboratory at Ohio University, as well as in the Infectious Disease Research Laboratory in Quito, Ecuador and other Tropical Disease Institute's projects in Ecuador. These two different environments serve as staging ground for research aimed to understand, prevent and control Chagas disease and other infectious diseases. Activities within these projects include research dealing with basic mechanisms of the disease, serological and molecular diagnostic test development, clinical research, epidemiology, vector biology, geographical Information system (GIS), sociology, community education, communications, etc.

     Host-Parasite immunological interactions: Expression of cytokines and chemokines in tissues from Trypanosoma cruzi infected mice using RT-PCR, Dynamics of parasite infection in an experimental murine model for Chagas disease, Epidemiological studies of Chagas' disease.

     Projects Overseas: Chagas' disease seroprevalence in endemic areas of Ecuador, Chagas' disease in blood banks of Ecuador, Clinical Chagas' disease in Ecuador, Prevention and Control of Chagas' disease, Vector borne diseases community education program

     Projects in USA: Trypanosoma cruzi infection in North American wild life, Molecular (PCR) and serological diagnosis of Chagas' disease, Molecular epidemiology of T. cruzi and Chagas' disease vectors of North America

Selected References:

• Jeannette Guarner, Jeanine Bartlett, Sherif R. Zaki, Daniel G. Colley, Mario J. Grijalva, and Malcolm R. Powell. 2000. Mouse model for Chagas' disease: Immunohistochemical distribution of different stages of Trypanosoma cruzi in tissues throughout infection. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 65(2):152-158.

• Herwaldt B.L., Grijalva M.J., Newsome A.L., McGhee C.R., Powell M.R., Nemec D.G., Steurer F.J., and Eberhard M.L. 2000. Use of polymerase chain reaction to diagnose the fifth reported U.S. case of autochthonous transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi - Tennessee 1998. Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Jan;181(1):395-399.

• Grijalva, M. J., Goodrum K., Rowland E. C. 1999. Characterization of Antigens released by Trypanosoma cruzi infected cells. Journal of Parasitology. 85(4):663-671.

• Grijalva, M.J., R.Chiriboga, J.R. Racines, L. Escalante and E.C. Rowland (1997) Short report: Screening for Trypanosoma cruzi in the blood supply by the Red Cross blood bank in Quito, Ecuador.  Amer. J. of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 57:740-741.

• Grijalva, M. J., Rowland, E. C., Powell, M. R., McCormick, T. S., Escalante, L. 1995. Blood donors in a vector free zone of Ecuador are potentially infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 52(4):360-363.