Fiocruz infectious disease specialist Marcus Vinicius Guimarães Lacerda has been appointed as the new director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR). The appointment was made by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus following a selection process endorsed by members of the Joint Coordinating Board (JCB) and the program’s co-sponsors, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and WHO. Marcus Lacerda will assume the position in March. This marks the second time a Brazilian has directed the program; the first was Carlos Morel, physician, biophysicist and former president of Fiocruz.
A public health researcher at Fiocruz, Lacerda coordinates the laboratory of the Carlos Borborema Clinical Research Institute (IPCCB), linked to Fiocruz Amazônia in Manaus. A Brazilian physician with extensive experience in Tropical Medicine, particularly in infectious diseases, he has significantly contributed to malaria control strategies and to the broader field of Global Health. Born in Taguatinga, near Brasília, he graduated in Medicine from the University of Brasília (UnB) and specialized in Infectious Diseases at the Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado Tropical Medicine Foundation (FMT-HVD) in Amazonas, where he began working with remote communities in the Amazon region dealing with malaria and other tropical diseases.
Lacerda is a former president of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine (SBMT) and has become a global reference in malaria research, especially in the management and elimination of Plasmodium vivax.
“Marcus Lacerda is a major global health figure of the 21st century, who has dedicated his professional life to shedding light on the health challenges of the Brazilian Amazon and beyond,” said Quique Bassat, director-general of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), in a recent profile published in The Lancet. “His invaluable research on the management and elimination of vivax malaria, his rigorous work during the Covid-19 pandemic, and his commitment to highlighting neglected tropical diseases demonstrate his dedication to addressing the needs of patients and communities while providing practical solutions,” he added.
Lacerda’s main research areas include malaria, HIV, histoplasmosis, arboviruses, snakebites, Covid-19 and other emerging diseases. Among his recent public health innovations are the implementation of oral and injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV, the introduction of single-dose tafenoquine for the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax malaria and the implementation of minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) to investigate causes of death — all pioneering initiatives in the Brazilian Amazon.
He is a professor in the Graduate Program in Tropical Medicine at the Amazonas State University and an associate professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). He has also served as an adjunct professor at Kent State University and Tulane University. Lacerda has authored more than 460 scientific publications and serves on advisory committees and working groups of the WHO Global Malaria Programme, in addition to acting as a consultant to the WHO Guidelines Development Group (GDG) for malaria chemotherapy. He is a CNPq Level 1B researcher in Medicine and an editor of the Journal of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine and Frontiers in Tropical Medicine.
According to WHO, as a strong advocate of implementation research, Marcus Lacerda collaborated with several national and international institutions in the development and implementation of tafenoquine, the first single-dose radical cure for malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax approved in more than 40 years, which is now included in WHO treatment guidelines. His research group in Manaus has also established one of the most advanced clinical research centers in the Amazon, integrating laboratory science, clinical trials and implementation research to guide public health policies. He currently coordinates the Telemal project, which uses technology to overcome geographic barriers and provide faster diagnosis and effective malaria treatment to populations living in remote areas of the Amazon rainforest.
Lacerda stated that he feels honored and enthusiastic about joining TDR as director. “I look forward to advancing the TDR Strategy 2024–2029 and supporting efforts to translate evidence into impact, especially where needs are greatest. I am eager to collaborate with countries and communities to strengthen capacity, support local leadership and build sustainable systems,” he said.
Initiative developed with support from Fiotec
Marcus Lacerda also coordinates a project focused on implementing and organizing a telehealth system for health education, diagnosis, surveillance, control, eradication and clinical management of malaria and other acute febrile diseases. Known as Telemal, the initiative includes the development of a tele-ambulatory service to provide remote care for populations living in isolated regions.
The project is jointly managed by the Leônidas and Maria Deane Institute and Fiocruz Amazônia, with support from Fiotec. The Fiocruz support foundation is responsible for the financial, administrative and logistical management of the initiative.
TDR
Created in 1975, the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) is a global scientific collaboration involving partners such as Fiocruz, UNICEF and the World Bank. Its goal is to develop innovative solutions and strengthen local research capacity to improve global health.
The program promotes and supports research to combat infectious diseases that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, adopting a “One Health” approach. Its focus includes neglected diseases such as Chagas disease, dengue, leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis and sleeping sickness, as well as strengthening research centers and training scientists in low- and middle-income countries.
Source: fiocruzbrasilia.fiocruz.br.
