Blog – GEMINI Research Center

22May 2026 by Leticia Murase No Comments

Monitoring zoonotic viruses in the Amazon: The ViVErA Project

Monitoring zoonotic viruses in the Amazon: The ViVErA Project Hiran Satiro, Felipe Murta, Leticia Murase Hiran Satiro collects biospecimens from local children. Photograph shared with permission. In the Amazon, close interactions between people, wildlife, and the environment are part of daily life. These connections sustain local communities but also create opportunities for viruses to circulate between humans, animals, and ecosystems.Monitoring infectious diseases in this region is particularly challenging. Many communities are located far from urban centers, where access to healthcare services and diagnostic resources is limited. At the same time, regular movement between Indigenous communities and nearby towns creates additional pathways for pathogens to spread.In this context, strengthening disease surveillance becomes essential. The ViVErA Project, short for Vigilância de Vírus Emergentes na Amazônia (Surveillance of Emerging Viruses in the Amazon),…

22Dec 2025 by Leticia Murase No Comments

Dorice Damas advances Public Health Research in Tanzania

KCMC, Partners

Dorice Damas Advances Public Health Research in Tanzania With support from the GEMINI Scholarship, she completed a Master’s in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Written by Leticia Murase and Ashley Phillips. Reviewed by Catherine Staton.The GEMINI Scholarship Program provides financial support for emerging researchers for global health. By funding individuals and broader efforts, the program helps strengthen healthcare systems in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), advancing progress and improving public health outcomes.Dr. Dorice A. Damas, the first GEMINI Scholarship recipient, recently completed her Master’s in Epidemiology and Applied Biostatistics at KCMC University in Tanzania. Dr. Dorice A. Damas at her graduation ceremony. Dorice trained as a medical doctor and grew up in Tanzania. During her internship, she saw many preventable cases and began to question the limits of clinical care. She realized…

19Sep 2025 by Leticia Murase No Comments

UFMA-GEMINI Partnership: Ten Years of Sharing Knowledge

Partners, UFMA

Written by Marcos Campos, Érika Thomaz. Review: Letícia Murase. In mid-2015, one of GEMINI’s most enduring collaborations began: a partnership with the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA, in Portuguese abbreviation). Maranhão, in Brazil’s Northeast, is home to unique natural landscapes and spans an area roughly the size of Italy. Yet the state faces some of the country’s lowest social and health indicators. In this tropical region, where ecosystems range from the Amazon rainforest to Brazil’s semi-arid zones, health needs are diverse. A high burden of infectious and neglected tropical diseases coexists with elevated mortality from noncommunicable conditions and violence, alongside health challenges specific to traditional communities (Indigenous, riverine, and quilombola populations).Against this backdrop, GEMINI’s co-director, Dr. João Vissoci, began collaborating with UFMA professor Dr. Erika Thomaz. Together with Dr. Thiago…