Dr. Juan Ramírez Gonzáles, BSc, MSc, PhD

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

INSTITUTION/LOCATION	DEGREE	FIELD OF STUDY
Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia	BSc	Microbiology
Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia	MSc	Microbiology
Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia	PhD	Molecular Parasitology
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, US	Postdoctoral fellow	Molecular Parasitology

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Ramírez González, an Associate Professor at the Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, is a distinguished figure in the field of infectious diseases. With a robust background in microbiology and specialization in tropical infectious diseases, Dr. Ramírez González has cultivated a strong interdisciplinary understanding of various pathogens.

As a laboratory director, his expertise extends to the development and validation of advanced tools for detecting nucleic acids from viruses and parasites. Driven by a profound knowledge of molecular biology, he is particularly focused on decoding the complete nucleic acid sequences of pathogens to unravel their evolutionary history. His overarching goal is to develop sophisticated methods that shed light on the different variants of these pathogens and their transmission dynamics across human and animal populations.

Dr. Ramírez González’s research also delves into the intricate interactions between parasites, viruses, and the human gut microbiota. Through his work, he aims to uncover how parasitic and viral infections modulate the intestinal microbiota, influencing the delicate balance of microorganisms in this crucial ecosystem.

Over the course of his 16-year career, Dr. Ramírez González has dedicated himself to studying a diverse array of pathogens, including Trypanosoma cruzi, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Blastocystis, Leishmania, Cryptococcus, Zika virus, and, more recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, and Monkeypox virus. The impact of his lab’s efforts is evident in the extensive body of work, with over 270 peer-reviewed international articles published in prestigious journals such as The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Cell, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, The Journal of Medical Virology, The Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Nature Communications, among others. Dr. Ramírez González boasts an H-index of 46 and has garnered over 8000 citations, attesting to the significant influence of his research in the scientific community.

Furthermore, Dr. Ramírez González’s extensive background in infectious diseases diagnostics underscores his role as a skilled laboratory scientist who has made substantial contributions to the diagnostic field.