Ananda Muller

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. As an 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 on April 2019, as an assistant Professor of Veterinary Bacteriology.

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

Diagnostics of Vector and Blood Borne Diseases, with emphasis in Bartonella spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Hemotropic Mycoplasmas, Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., Babesia spp., Theileria spp., Hepatozoon spp., Cytauxzoon felis and Dirofilaria immitis.

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

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.