{"document_url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Cristina_Ferro"}
Colombian microbiologist
Maria Cristina Ferro de Carrasquilla (1947–2015) was a Colombian microbiologist and Leishmaniasis researcher who worked for more than forty years at the National Health Institute of Colombia. Most of her research was focused on sandflies (Phlebotominae subfamily), which are Leishmaniasis vectors, contributing with the description of three new species: Lutzomyia torvida, Lutzomyia falcata, and Lutzomyia tolimensis. Given her research contributions, a sandfly species was named after her: Lutzomyia ferroae (Young & Morales 1987). Ferro also worked with Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus and received the Emeritus Researcher award from the National Health Institute of Colombia in 2007

Biography

Ferro obtained a bachelor's degree in Microbiology at University of Los Andes in Bogota in 1969 and started working in the Entomology laboratory at the National Health Institute of Colombia, focusing on Leishmaniasis vectors with the entomologists Ernesto Osorno Mesa, Fenita Muñoz de Osorno, and Alberto Morales Alarcon. Phlebotominae taxonomy, biology and ecology was the core of her research studies. During 1975-1976, she did a Master of Science in Parasitology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with British Council fellowship. Afterwards, she returned to the Entomology laboratory at the National Health Institute of Colombia and from 1994 to 2005, she was the coordinator. In 2006, she became principal researcher of several projects and editor of the National Health Institute journal: Biomedica. In 2007, Ferro was recognized as Emeritus Researcher for her research contributions in Leishmaniasis and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus in the medical entomology field.

Research field

Ferro's research was focused on the study of Leishmaniasis and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus vectors. She described three new species of phlebotomines: Lutzomyia torvida., Lutzomyia falcata, and Lutzomyia tolimensis. Ferro contributed with new sandfly species records in Colombia, increasing the knowledge on Phlebotominae geographical distribution, biology and genetics. Additionally, Ferro isolated Leishmania species and new phlebotomines viruses, and investigated the incrimination, vectorial capacity, environmental anad ecological factors associated with Leishmaniasis transmission. A new phlebotomine species was named after her, Lutzomyia ferroae, due to her research contributions

Awards

Selected publications

During her scientific career, Ferro published more than one hundred scientific papers and four book chapters, and advised several undergraduate and graduate research projects. To date, her most cited publications are: