Claudia Patricia Herrera Bernal, PhD, MSc

Claudia Herrera is a microbiologist with expertise in several specific areas including immunology, diagnostics, molecular biology and molecular epidemiology, molecular genetics and phylogenetics of parasites. She has more than 15 years of experience in serological diagnosis and molecular parasitology. Her main research interests include the population genetics and molecular epidemiology of protozoan parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi and Toxoplasma gondii. Her main contribution to science was to describe, for the first time, genotypes within Trypanosoma cruzi TcI in Colombia and proposed a new nomenclature for TcI subgroups which is now widely used in studies on T. cruzi molecular epidemiology. She received her MSc in microbiology and a PhD in biology from the Los Andes University, Bogota-Colombia and her master/DEA from Valencia University, Valencia-Spain.

At Tulane University, she established a pioneering molecular epidemiology laboratory for Chagas disease, initiating some of the first Louisiana-based studies on T. cruzi genotyping and reporting previously unrecognized parasite DTUs in the southern United States. She is currently Principal Investigator of an NIH NICHD-funded R01 on congenital Chagas disease, focused on developing and validating diagnostic tools for early detection in maternal and infant populations. She also leads a GHIT-funded international collaboration on next-generation diagnostics using conserved peptides for ELISA and rapid tests, with partners across Latin America, Spain, and Japan. These programs highlight her leadership in shaping global strategies for improved diagnostic accuracy and access.

Dr. Herrera’s laboratory integrates serology, genomics, and population-based approaches to strengthen surveillance and implementation of diagnostic tools in both endemic and non-endemic regions. Beyond research, she directs community screening and education initiatives through the DICHA program in New Orleans and maintains strong international collaborations across the U.S. and Latin America.

She is also deeply committed to teaching and mentorship, guiding undergraduate independent research projects and contributing molecular and diagnostic case studies to Tulane’s public health curriculum. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the U.S. Chagas Disease Research Consortium and holds leadership roles in professional societies, reinforcing her standing as a national and international leader in Chagas disease research.