Ruth Aguilar is currently staff scientist at the Malaria Immunology Group in ISGlobal. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the Malaria Research Institute in the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (2004-2006), working on several studies that involved state-of-the-art molecular biology and functional genomics of the mosquito-malaria system. In 2006 she joined the Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB, now ISGlobal) as a Research Associate working at the Manhiça Health Research Center (CISM) in Mozambique. At CISM she coordinated the development of several studies on the parasitology and immunology of malaria in the laboratory, being responsible for standard operating procedure development and implementation, sample processing, and training and supervision of the lab personnel. During 2008-2013 she was a senior postdoctoral fellow at ISGlobal working on the study of the etiology and risk factors of anemia in children from Manhiça.

Since 2014, she is Staff Scientist within the Malaria Immunology Group supporting the PI in the technical supervision and coordination of laboratory activities related to several large multicenter studies on immunity to malaria vaccine candidates and immune responses to Plasmodium parasites in vulnerable populations, including training and implementation of the Luminex technology for biomarker research. Recently her team is also expanding the use of the Luminex technology to serological and biomarker studies in the context of other infections besides malaria.

Lines Of Research

• Study of the factors involved the development of naturally acquired immunity to malaria.
• Study of the immune response to the RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate and its associations to risk/protection of clinical malaria.
• Study of biomarkers associated to tolerance/susceptibility to clinical malaria.
• Biomarker research in other infections besides malaria.

Main Publications

• Assessment of the Combined Effect of Epstein-Barr Virus and Plasmodium falciparum Infections on Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma Using a Multiplex Serological Approach. Aguilar R, Casabonne D, O'Callaghan-Gordo C, Vidal M, Campo JJ, Mutalima N, Angov E, Dutta S, Gaur D, Chitnis CE, Chauhan V, Michel A, de Sanjosé S, Waterboer T, Kogevinas M, Newton R, Dobaño C. Front Immunol. 2017 Oct 26;8:1284. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01284.
• drLumi: An open-source package to manage data, calibrate, and conduct quality control of multiplex bead-based immunoassays data analysis. Sanz H, Aponte JJ, Harezlak J, Dong Y, Ayestaran A, Nhabomba A, Mpina M, Maurin OR, Díez-Padrisa N, Aguilar R, Moncunill G, Selidji Todagbe A, Daubenberger C, Dobaño C, Valim C. PLoS One. 2017 Nov 14;12(11):e0187901. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187901.
• Distinct Helper T Cell Type 1 and 2 Responses Associated With Malaria Protection and Risk in RTS,S/AS01E Vaccinees. Moncunill G, Mpina M, Nhabomba AJ, Aguilar R, Ayestaran A, Sanz H, Campo JJ, Jairoce C, Barrios D, Dong Y, Díez-Padrisa N, Fernandes JF, Abdulla S, Sacarlal J, Williams NA, Harezlak J, Mordmüller B, Agnandji ST, Aponte JJ, Daubenberger C, Valim C, Dobaño C. Clinical infectious diseases: an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. 2017; 65(5):746-755.
• Host age and expression of genes involved in red blood cell invasion in Plasmodium falciparum field isolates. Valmaseda A, Bassat Q, Aide P, Cisteró P, Jiménez A, Casellas A, Machevo S, Aguilar R, Sigaúque B, Chauhan VS, Langer C, Beeson J, Chitnis C, Alonso PL, Gaur D, Mayor A. Scientific reports. 2017; 7(1):4717.
• Immunosuppressive and angiogenic cytokine profile associated with Bartonella bacilliformis infection in post-outbreak and endemic areas of Carrion's disease in Peru. Pons MJ, Gomes C, Aguilar R, Barrios D, Aguilar-Luis MA, Ruiz J, Dobaño C, Del Valle-Mendoza J, Moncunill G. PLoS neglected tropical diseases. 2017; 11(6):e0005684.
• Anaemia in hospitalised preschool children from a rural area in Mozambique: a case control study in search for aetiological agents. Moraleda C, Aguilar R, Quintó L, Nhampossa T, Renom M, Nhabomba A, Acácio S, Aponte JJ, Nhalungo D, Achtman AH, Schofield L, Martins H, Macete E, Alonso PL, Menéndez C. BMC pediatrics. 2017; 17(1):63.
• Incidence of Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma in Three Regions of Mozambique. O'Callaghan-Gordo C, Casabonne D, Carrilho C, Ferro J, Lorenzoni C, Zaqueu C, Nhabomba A, Aguilar R, Bassat Q, de Sanjosé S, Dobaño C, Kogevinas M. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene. 2016; 95(6):1459-1462.
• Plasma advanced oxidative protein products are associated with anti-oxidative stress pathway genes and malaria in a longitudinal cohort. Zhang G, Skorokhod OA, Khoo SK, Aguilar R, Wiertsema S, Nhabomba AJ, Marrocco T, McNamara-Smith M, Manaca MN, Barbosa A, Quintó L, Hayden CM, Goldblatt J, Guinovart C, Alonso PL, Dobaño C, Schwarzer E, LeSouëf PN. Malaria journal. 2014; 13:134.
• Impact of age of first exposure to Plasmodium falciparum on antibody responses to malaria in children: a randomized, controlled trial in Mozambique. Nhabomba AJ, Guinovart C, Jiménez A, Manaca MN, Quintó L, Cisteró P, Aguilar R, Barbosa A, Rodríguez MH, Bassat Q, Aponte JJ, Mayor A, Chitnis CE, Alonso PL, Dobaño C. Malaria journal. 2014; 13:121.
• Severity of anaemia is associated with bone marrow haemozoin in children exposed to Plasmodium falciparum. Aguilar R, Moraleda C, Achtman AH, Mayor A, Quintó L, Cisteró P, Nhabomba A, Macete E, Schofield L, Alonso PL, Menéndez C. British journal of haematology. 2014; 164(6):877-87.
• Molecular evidence for the localization of Plasmodium falciparum immature gametocytes in bone marrow. Aguilar R, Magallon-Tejada A, Achtman AH, Moraleda C, Joice R, Cisteró P, Li Wai Suen CS, Nhabomba A, Macete E, Mueller I, Marti M, Alonso PL, Menéndez C, Schofield L, Mayor A. Blood. 2014; 123(7):959-66.
• Blood oxidative stress markers and Plasmodium falciparum malaria in non-immune African children. Aguilar R, Marrocco T, Skorokhod OA, Barbosa A, Nhabomba A, Manaca MN, Guinovart C, Quintó L, Arese P, Alonso PL, Dobaño C, Schwarzer E. British journal of haematology. 2014; 164(3):438-50.
• Cytokine and antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum in naïve individuals during a first malaria episode: effect of age and malaria exposure. Moncunill G, Mayor A, Jiménez A, Nhabomba A, Puyol L, Manaca MN, Barrios D, Cisteró P, Guinovart C, Aguilar R, Bardají A, Pinazo MJ, Angov E, Dutta S, Chitnis CE, Muñoz J, Gascón J, Dobaño C. PloS one. 2013; 8(2):e55756.
• Cytokine profiling in immigrants with clinical malaria after extended periods of interrupted exposure to Plasmodium falciparum. Moncunill G, Mayor A, Bardají A, Puyol L, Nhabomba A, Barrios D, Aguilar R, Pinazo MJ, Almirall M, Soler C, Muñoz J, Gascón J, Dobaño C. PloS one. 2013; 8(8):e73360.
• High antibody responses against Plasmodium falciparum in immigrants after extended periods of interrupted exposure to malaria. Moncunill G, Mayor A, Jiménez A, Nhabomba A, Casas-Vila N, Puyol L, Campo JJ, Manaca MN, Aguilar R, Pinazo MJ, Almirall M, Soler C, Muñoz J, Bardají A, Angov E, Dutta S, Chitnis CE, Alonso PL, Gascón J, Dobaño C.
• PloS one. 2013; 8(8):e73624.
• Comparison of placental blood microscopy and the ICT HRP2 rapid diagnostic test to detect placental malaria. Aguilar R, Machevo S, Menéndez C, Bardají A, Nhabomba A, Alonso PL, Mayor A. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2012; 106(9):573-5.
• Interleukin-10 (IL-10) polymorphisms are associated with IL-10 production and clinical malaria in young children. Zhang G, Manaca MN, McNamara-Smith M, Mayor A, Nhabomba A, Berthoud TK, Khoo SK, Wiertsema S, Aguilar R, Barbosa A, Quintó L, Candelaria P, Schultz EN, Hayden CM, Goldblatt J, Guinovart C, Alonso PL, Lesouëf PN, Dobaño C. Infection and immunity. 2012; 80(7):2316-22.
• A direct comparison of real time PCR on plasma and blood to detect Plasmodium falciparum infection in children. Lamikanra AA, Dobaño C, Jiménez A, Nhabomba A, Tsang HP, Guinovart C, Manaca MN, Quinto L, Aguilar R, Cisteró P, Alonso PL, Roberts DJ, Mayor A. Malaria journal. 2012; 11:201.
• How hidden can malaria be in pregnant women? Diagnosis by microscopy, placental histology, polymerase chain reaction and detection of histidine-rich protein 2 in plasma. Mayor A, Moro L, Aguilar R, Bardají A, Cisteró P, Serra-Casas E, Sigaúque B, Alonso PL, Ordi J, Menéndez C. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. 2012; 54(11):1561-8.
• Low antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum and imbalanced pro-inflammatory cytokines are associated with severe malaria in Mozambican children: a case-control study. Rovira-Vallbona E, Moncunill G, Bassat Q, Aguilar R, Machevo S, Puyol L, Quintó L, Menéndez C, Chitnis CE, Alonso PL, Dobaño C, Mayor A. Malaria journal. 2012; 11:181.
• Challenges in the diagnosis of iron deficiency in children exposed to high prevalence of infections. Aguilar R, Moraleda C, Quintó L, Renom M, Mussacate L, Macete E, Aguilar JL, Alonso PL, Menéndez C. PloS one. 2012; 7(11):e50584.
• The role of age and exposure to Plasmodium falciparum in the rate of acquisition of naturally acquired immunity: a randomized controlled trial. Guinovart C, Dobaño C, Bassat Q, Nhabomba A, Quintó L, Manaca MN, Aguilar R, Rodríguez MH, Barbosa A, Aponte JJ, Mayor AG, Renom M, Moraleda C, Roberts DJ, Schwarzer E, Le Souëf PN, Schofield L, Chitnis CE, Doolan DL, Alonso PL. PloS one. 2012; 7(3):e32362.
• Comparison of commercial kits to measure cytokine responses to Plasmodium falciparum by multiplex microsphere suspension array technology. Berthoud TK, Manaca MN, Quelhas D, Aguilar R, Guinovart C, Puyol L, Barbosa A, Alonso PL, Dobaño C. Malaria journal. 2011; 10:115.
• Association of severe malaria outcomes with platelet-mediated clumping and adhesion to a novel host receptor. Mayor A, Hafiz A, Bassat Q, Rovira-Vallbona E, Sanz S, Machevo S, Aguilar R, Cisteró P, Sigaúque B, Menéndez C, Alonso PL, Chitnis CE. PloS one. 2011; 6(4):e19422.
• Parity and placental infection affect antibody responses against Plasmodium falciparum during pregnancy. Mayor A, Rovira-Vallbona E, Machevo S, Bassat Q, Aguilar R, Quintó L, Jiménez A, Sigauque B, Dobaño C, Kumar S, Singh B, Gupta P, Chauhan VS, Chitnis CE, Alonso PL, Menéndez C. Infection and immunity. 2011; 79(4):1654-9.
• Erythropoietin levels are not independently associated with malaria-attributable severe disease in Mozambican children. Díez-Padrisa N, Aguilar R, Machevo S, Morais L, Nhampossa T, O'Callaghan-Gordo C, Nhalungo D, Menéndez C, Roca A, Alonso PL, Bassat Q. PloS one. 2011; 6(8):e24090.