Our Team

Elisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Environmental Biology from Roskilde University in Denmark. During her studies, she participated in an exchange program in La Universidad de los Andes, Colombia, where she first learned about tropical infectious diseases. Driven by her newfound passion, Elisa pursued a Master’s degree in Infection Biology at Uppsala University in Sweden. Her academic journey included an internship focused on viral transmission in Culex mosquitoes. For her master’s thesis, Elisa conducted research host-cell characteristics influencing Trypanosoma cruzi infection efficacy and other invasion mechanisms at the CINVESTAV Institute in Mexico.

Since September 2022, Elisa has been an integral part of the ISGlobal Chagas Initiative group. She works as the lab technician of the Trypanosoma cruzi biology group and her primary focus lies in identifying novel molecules with anti-parasitic activity. She is involved in revealing the role of lipid droplets on th infection by Trypanosoma cruzi, using techniques such as flow cytometry, confocal and epifluorescence microscopy, and electron microscopy.

Lines of research

• The role of lipid droplets on the infection by Trypanosma cruzi.
• Pathogenesis of Chagas disease
• Lipotoxicity and myocardial damage
• New therapeutic interventions for Chagas disease.
• Implementation of more practical diagnostic algorithms in highly endemic areas with low resources.

Main publications

• Gabaldón-Figueira, J. C., Martinez-Peinado, N., Escabia, E., Ros-Lucas, A., Chatelain, E., Scandale, I., Gascon, J., Pinazo, M.-J., & Alonso-Padilla, J. (2023). State-of-the-art in the drug discovery pathway for chagas disease: A framework for drug development and Target Validation. Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine, Volume 14, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.2147/rrtm.s415273 
• Gabaldón-Figueira, J. C., Skjefte, M., Longhi, S., Escabia, E., García, L. J., Ros-Lucas, A., Martínez-Peinado, N., Muñoz-Calderón, A., Gascón, J., Schijman, A. G., & Alonso-Padilla, J. (2023). Practical diagnostic algorithms for Chagas Disease: A focus on low resource settings. Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy, 21(12), 1287–1299. https://doi.org/10.1080/14787210.2023.2279110 
• Khan, F. R., Croft, S. S., Herrando, E. E., Kandylas, A., Meyerjuergens, T., Rayner, D., Schulte, J., & Valdemarson á Løgmansbø, I. (2021). A brief perspective on environmental science in the anthropocene: Recalibrating, rethinking and re-evaluating to meet the challenge of complexity. Environments, 8(10), 98. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments8100098