Ananda Muller, DVM, MSc, PhD

Originally  from  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil,  Dr. Müller  studied  Veterinary  Medicine  at  Fluminense  Federal University  in  Brazil,  graduating  in  2005.  In  2006  she  finished  the  Veterinary  Clinical  Pathology  specialty program and was awarded a Fellowship to enroll the Master at Fluminense Federal University, when she started  working  with  molecular  diagnosis  of  Vector  Borne  Diseases.  After  being  awarded  a  Fellowship  in 2008, she started a PhD in in the same University. During her PhD she performed molecular characterization of intracellular bacteria and developed skills in bioinformatics, sequencing and phylogeny, while attending a postgraduate specialization program in higher education. As soon as she finished  her PhD  in 2012, she moved to Valdivia, southern Chile, to work at the Austral University of Chile. Asan associate Professor at Universidad  Austral  de  Chile, Dr.  Müller  taught  Veterinary  Clinical  Pathology  for  the  DVM  students  and Molecular Diagnosis in the postgraduate program (Master and PhD levels) for 7 years, being also the head of  the  Veterinary  Clinical  Pathology  and  Molecular  Diagnostics  Laboratories.  Dr.  Müller  joined  RUSVM inApril 2019, as an assistant Professor of Veterinary Bacteriology. She also collaborates in Clinical Pathology and passed the phase I ACVP board in 2020. 

EDUCATION

DVM Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil, 2005
Specialty in Veterinary Clinical Pathology Univerisdade Castelo Branco, Brazil, 2006
MSc Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil, 2008
PhD Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil, 2012
Specialty in Higher Education Universidade Candido Mendez, Brazil, 2013

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Vector and Blood Borne bacteria, with emphasis in Bartonella spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Hemotropic Mycoplasmas, Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., Borrelia spp.

GRANTS

2019 – to date FONDECYT REGULAR 1191462 Extramural. Bartonella henselae in healthy and febrile naturally infected cats: Are there differences between genotypes, bacteremia and bacterial shedding? Principal Investigator. AMOUNT: USD 220,000

2016 – 2019, Morris Foundation. ''Importance, origin and potential transmission of haemoplasma infection for the threatened Darwins fox''. AMOUNT: USD 10,000

2014 - 2016, DID S-2014-25. “Molecular detection and DNA quantification of Hemotropic Mycoplasmas in Domestic cats from Valdivia, Chile ''. Principal Investigator. AMOUNT: USD 10,000

FELLOWSHIPS

2016. BAYLAT fellowship between Chile and Germany- Research internship in Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany. Principal Investigator. AMOUNT: USD 8,000

2015. SANTANDER Fellowship for young researchers - Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP Jaboticabal, Brazil. “Molecular detection of Bartonella spp. infecting domestic cats from Valdivia, Chile”. Principal Investigator. AMOUNT: USD 10,000

PUBLICATION HIGHLIGHTS

Sepúlveda‐García, P., Raffo, E., Medina‐Vogel, G., Muñoz, F., Muñoz, P., Alabí, A., Navarrete‐Talloni, M.J., Gonçalves, L.R., Califre de Mello, V.V., Machado, R.Z., André, M.R., Bittencourt, P., Müller, A. (2020), Molecular survey of Bartonella spp. and hemoplasmas in American minks (Neovison vison). Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. 10.1111/tbed.13857 Correspondence Author 2020.

Alabí, A.S.; Monti, G.; Otth, C.; Sepulveda-García, P.; Sánchez-Hidalgo, M.; de Mello, V.V.C.; Machado, R.Z.; André, M.R.; Bittencourt, P.; Müller, A. Molecular Survey and Genetic Diversity of Hemoplasmas in Rodents from Chile. Microorganisms 8, 1493. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8101493 Correspondence Author 2020.

Müller, A. Paulina Sepúlveda, Sophia Di Cataldo, Aitor Cevidanes, Fulgencio Lisón, Javier Millán. Molecular investigation of zoonotic intracellular bacteria in Chilean bats. Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. 73, 101541  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cimid.2020.101541 2020.

 Müller, A, Ricardo Gutiérrez, Mauricio Seguel, Gustavo Monti, Carola Otth, Pedro Bittencourt, Paulina Sepúlveda, Amir Alabí, Yaarit Nachum-Biala, Shimon Harrus. Molecular survey of Bartonella spp. in rodents and fleas from Chile. Acta Tropica. (2020)  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105672 Correspondence Author 2020.

Claudio Hurtado, Reinaldo Torresa, Sandra Pérez-Macchia, Katherine Sagredoa, Benjamin Ubertia, Diego Carlos de Souza Zanattob, Rosangela Zacarias Machadob,Marcos Rogério André, Pedro Bittencourtc, Müller, A. Serological and molecular detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Thoroughbred horses from Chilean racecourses. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases. 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101441. Correspondence Author 2020.

Patrícia Gonzaga Paulino, Nádia Almosny, Renata Oliveira, Müller, A, Vanessa Viscardi, Claudia da Silva, Maristela Peckle, Andresa Guimarães, Cristiane Baldani, Carlos Massard, Huarrisson Santos. Detection of Neorickettsia risticii, the agent of Potomac horse fever, in horses from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Nature Scietific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69584-w 2020.

Ignacio, E., Pérez-Macchi S., Alabi, A., Bittencourt P., Müller A. Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Piroplasmids in Domestic Dogs from Paraguay. 1-15. Ticks and Tick Borne Diseases. DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.11.009 Correspondence Author. 2019.

Weinborn-Astudillo R, Pau N, Tobar B, Jaffe D, Boulouis HJ, Sepulveda P, Müller A., Chomel B. Bartonella Infection in Stray Dogs from Central and Southern Chile (Linares and Puerto Montt). Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2505. 2019

Perez-Macchi, S, Pedroso R, Bittencourt, P, Müller A. Prevalence, molecular characterization and risk factor analysis of Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys in domestic dogs from Paraguay. 62:31-39. Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases. Correspondence Author. 2018.

Müller A., Rodríguez E., Walker R., Bittencourt P., Pérez-Macchi S., Gonçalves L., Machado R., André M. Occurrence and genetic diversity of Bartonella spp. (Rhizobiales: Bartonellaceae) and Rickettsia spp.  (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) in cat fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) from Chile. 1-6. Journal of Medical Entomology. DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy124. Correspondence Author. 2018.

Müller A., Soto F., Sepúlveda M. , Bittencourt P. , Benevenute J. , Ikeda P. , Machado R. , André M. Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhofii and B. henselae in dogs. 6:1-13. Epidemiology and Infection. DOI: 10.1017/S0950268818001127 Correspondence Author. 2018.

Müller A., Monti G., Otth C., Sepúlveda P. , Bittencourt P. , Nachum-Biala Y. , Gutiérrez R. , Harrus S. Candidatus Neoehrlichia chilensis’ sp. nov.: Molecular detection and characterization of a novel Anaplasmataceae in wild rodents from Valdivia, Southern Chile. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. 65: 357- 362. DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12815. Correspondence Author. 2018.

Müller A., Walker R., Bittencourt P. , Machado R. , Benevenute J. , do Amaral R. , Gonçalves L André. Prevalence, Hematological Findings And Genetic Diversity of Bartonella spp. in Domestic Cats From Valdivia, Southern Chile. Parasitology. 144: 773-782. DOI: 10.1017/S003118201600247X. Correspondence Author. 2017.

Soto, F. , Walker, R. , Sepulveda, M. , Bittencourt, P. , Acosta-Jamett, G. , Müller A. Occurrence of canine hemotropic mycoplasmas in domestic dogs from urban and rural areas of the Valdivia province, southern Chile. Comparative Immunology Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. 50: 70-77. DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2016.11.013. Correspondence Author. 2017.

Seguel M. , Muñoz F. , Keenan A. , Perez-Venegas D. , DeRango E. , Paves H. , Gottdenker N. , Müller A. Hematology, Biochemistry and Early Hematologic Changes in Free-Ranging South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) at Guafo Island, Chilean Patagonia. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 52: 663-668. DOI: 10.7589/2015-11-293. Correspondence Author. 2016.

R Walker , F Morera , M Gómez , N Pereira , P Arauna , P Grob , Müller A. Prevalence, risk factor analysis, and hematological findings of hemoplasma infection in domestic cats from Valdivia, Southern Chile. Comparative Immunology. Comparative Immunology Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. 46: 20-26. Correspondence Author. 2016.