Panama, November 25, 2024. Dr. Jean-Paul Carrera, a Panamanian researcher at the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies (ICGES), has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Scherer/Hardy Award from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), through its Committee on Arthropod-Borne Viruses. This international recognition celebrates his outstanding work in the study of arboviruses, an advance that highlights the quality of Panamanian research.
The award ceremony took place on November 13 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, United States, as part of this year’s ASTMH Annual Meeting. Dr. Nicanor III Obaldía Rodríguez, Director General of ICGES, and Dr. Sandra López Vergés, Head of the Department of Research in Virology and Biotechnology of ICGES, accompanied Dr. Carrera during the award, emphasizing the importance of this recognition both for the Panamanian scientific community and for the region, as it is the first time that it is awarded to a Latin American scientific researcher.
This recognition highlights the scientific excellence of Dr. Carrera, whose research continues to contribute to the understanding of arboviruses and their impact on the ecosystems of Panama and Latin America. Arboviral infections are those caused by viruses transmitted by arthropods (ticks, insects, spiders).
Dr. Carrera highlighted: “This award is traditionally given to young researchers who are studying for a doctorate or who have spent three years since the completion of their doctorate, that is, who are in the early stages of their career, but whose contribution has been of high impact in arbovirology.”
With a PhD in Infectious Disease Epidemiology and viral evolution from the University of Oxford, Dr. Carrera has dedicated his professional work to understanding the complex dynamics of arthropod-borne viruses. Since 2008, his research has focused on the early detection of emerging viruses such as Madariaga, Punta Toro, and Chikungunya, with a focus that encompasses the Darien region, the largest tropical forest in Central America.
Currently, Carrera leads and participates in scientific projects of great international impact, including his collaboration in the DELTA project (Dengue, Leishmaniasis and Environmental Transformations) that seeks to understand how climate change influences the transmission of diseases such as dengue, with the aim of creating predictive tools that can be applied in different geographical contexts. This is an initiative that involves prestigious institutions such as the Adolfo Lutz Institute, the University of Sao Paulo and the Pasteur Institute of Brazil.
Dr. Carrera has carried out various research projects for the prevention of epidemics and emerging diseases, which he has carried out after winning a total of nine public calls for Scientific Research and Technological Development from Senacyt.
The researcher is also working on the creation of the Carson Center for Research in Health and Ecosystems, conceived as a platform for the promotion of multidisciplinary research, whose objective is to transform agricultural practices, conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable development that benefits local communities in the province of Darién.
