Eric Dumonteil, PhD

Eric Dumonteil's primary research interest is in the development of new control tools for Chagas disease and other neglected tropical diseases. These include interdisciplinary research on vector ecology and vector control interventions, epidemiological studies and pre-clinical evaluation of therapeutic and preventive vaccines and diagnostics. Thus, a combination of formative research with ecological field work and metagenomic lab approaches has been used to investigate the biology and ecology of triatomine bugs, the insect vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, leading to the development of alternative vector control strategies and key recommendations to public health officials. We have also performed pioneering studies on the pathogenesis and immunology of Chagas disease using naturally infected non-human primates, to uncover the mechanism of disease progression. In addition, as part of the first public-private-partnership focusing on the development of a Chagas disease therapeutic vaccine, and we are leading its evaluation at the Tulane National Research Primate Center, to generate proof-of-concept data for a therapeutic vaccine/immunotherapy for the treatment of an infection as an alternative/complement to current drug treatment. Lastly, Dr. Dumonteil is conducting more basic research on parasite biology and genomics, to help optimize current diagnostic tests and treatments for infected patients. Through these studies, Dr. Dumonteil has developed a large network of collaborators in the US, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil, among others.