Faculty

Brown, Carl
Chaves, Luis
Gillespie, Tom
Gunderson, Lance
Hall, Anne
Hickcox, Woody
Kitron, Uriel
Majors, Kristan
Martin, Tony
Page, Michael
Prokopec, Gonzalo Vazquez
Ruttan, Lore
Seares, Jessica
Size, William
Spears, Ellen
Wegner, John
Wilson, Larry
Yandle, Tracy

Staff

Jerald Byrd (Jerry)
Carolyn Keogh (Carrie)

Gonzalo M. Vazquez-Prokopec M.Sc. University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (2003) Ph.D., University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (2007) Postdoctoral Research Associate Math and Science Center 5th floor E536 Phone: 404-712-8728 gmvazqu@emory.edu

Gonzalo Vazquez Prokopec was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He attended the School of Exact and Natural Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires, receiving Master's and Ph. D. degrees in Ecology. He worked for over 9 years researching the eco-epidemiology of Chagas disease (American Trypanosomiasis) in rural communities of north-western Argentina.

During that time he actively participated in diverse research activities involving both field as well as lab/computing components such as the development of a sensitive device for detecting peridomestic triatomine bugs; the study of the micro-climatic conditions of anthropic structures (houses, chicken coops, corrals); the application of geospatial tools (Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing, Spatial Statistics) to study the spatio-temporal pattern of reinfestation of rural communities by triatomine bugs at multiple spatial scales. He also worked in close contact with the Argentine Vector Control Program evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the current vector control actions against Chagas disease vectors.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

His primary fields of interest are spatial and landscape epidemiology, global health, public health entomology, and vector-borne diseases ecology. Particularly, his research interests center on the study of the spatial and spatio-temporal dynamics in the occurrence and transmission of vector-borne diseases, the ecology of the insect vectors and reservoir hosts and their relationship with their surrounding environment, the human behaviors and activities related to disease transmission and, particularly, in how to take advantage of such knowledge to improve vector-borne disease control and prevention.

TEACHING

2008.
Teacher in the workshop "Spatial Analysis of GIS Data – Applied Statistics for Public Health and Environmental Studies". Dept. of Environmental Studies, Emory University.

2006.
Teacher assistant, “Population Ecology”. Undergraduate course of the Biology career (School of Exact and Natural Sciences – University of Buenos Aires). Professor in charge: Dr. Ricardo Gürtler.  

2004.
Teacher in the workshop "Uses and applications of Geographic Information Systems". Organized by the Panamerican Health Organization, School of Exact and Natural Sciences – UBA, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Buenos Aires.

PUBLICATIONS

2006
Cecere M.C., Vazquez-Prokopec G.M., Gürtler R.E., Kitron U. 2006. Reinfestation sources for Chagas disease vector, Triatoma infestans, Argentina. Emerging Infectious Diseases 12 (7): 1096-1102.

Ceballos L.A., Cardinal M.V., Vazquez-Prokopec G.M., Lauricella M.A., Orozco M.M., Cortinas R., Schijman A.G., Levin M.J., Kitron U., Gürtler R.E. 2006. Long-term reduction of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in sylvatic mammals following deforestation and sustained surveillance in northwestern Argentina. Acta Tropica 98 (3): 286-296.

Cecere M.C., Vazquez-Prokopec G.M., Ceballos L.A., Gurevitz J.M., Zárate J.E., Zaidenberg M., Kitron U., Gürtler R.E. 2006. Comparative trial of the effectiveness of pyrethroid insecticides against peridomestic populations of Triatoma infestans in northwestern Argentina. Journal of Medical Entomology. 43: 902-909.

Vazquez-Prokopec G.M., Ceballos L.A., Marcet P.L., Cecere M.C., Cardinal M.V., Kitron U., Gürtler R.E. 2006. Seasonal variations in active dispersal of natural populations of Triatoma infestans in rural northwestern Argentina. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 20: 273-279.

Cardinal M.V., Castañera M.B., Lauricella M.A., Cecere M.C., Ceballos L.A., Vazquez-Prokopec G.M., Kitron U., Gürtler R.E. 2006. A prospective study of the effects of sustained vector surveillance on Trypanosoma cruzi infection of dogs and cats in rural northwestern Argentina. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 75(4): 753-761.

Kitron U., Clennon J.A., Cecere M.C., Gürtler R.E., King C., Vazquez-Prokopec G.M. 2006. Upscale or downscale: applications of fine scale remotely sensed data to schistosomiasis in Kenya and Chagas disease in Argentina. Geospatial Health. 1: 49-58.

2005
Vazquez-Prokopec G.M., Cecere M.C., Canale D.M., Gürtler R.E., Kitron U. 2005. Spatiotemporal patterns of reinfestation by Triatoma guasayana (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in a rural community of northwestern Argentina. Journal of Medical Entomology,42 (4): 571-581.

Ceballos L.A., Vazquez-Prokopec G.M., Cecere M.C., Gürtler R.E. 2005. Feeding rates, nutritional status and flight dispersal potential of peridomestic populations of Triatoma infestans in rural northwestern Argentina. Acta Tropica,95: 149-159.

2004
Vazquez-Prokopec G.M., Ceballos L.A., Kitron U., Gürtler R.E. 2004. Active dispersal of natural populations of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Triatominae) in rural northwestern Argentina. Journal of Medical Entomology, 41 (4): 614-621.

Cecere M.C., Vazquez-Prokopec G.M., Gürtler R.E., Kitron U. 2004. Spatio-temporal analysis of reinfestation by Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: reduviidae) following insecticide spraying in a rural community in northwestern Argentina. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 71 (6): 803-810.

2002
Vazquez-Prokopec G.M., Ceballos L.A., Salomon O.D., Gürtler R.E. 2002. Field trials of an improved cost-effective device for detecting peridomestic populations of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Rural Argentina. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 97(7): 971-977.

Vazquez-Prokopec G.M.,Ceballos L.A., Cecere M.C., Gürtler R.E. 2002. Seasonal variations of microclimatic conditions in domestic and peridomestic habitats of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in rural northwest Argentina. Acta Tropica, 84: 229-238.

2001
Gürtler R.E., Vazquez-Prokopec G.M., Ceballos L.A., Lund Petersen C., Salomón O.D. 2001. Comparison between two artificial shelter units and timed manual collections for detecting peridomestic Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in rural northwestern Argentina. Journal of Medical Entomology, 38(3): 429-436.

Book Chapters

Application of fine resolution satellite data to spatial analysis and control of infectious diseases: Schistosomiasis in Kenya and Chagas disease in Argentina. Uriel Kitron, Julie A. Clennon, Ricardo E. Gürtler, Charles H. King, María Carla Cecere, Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec, Janet Thornhill, Louisa Beck. In Confalonieri, U.E.C & Marinho, D.P., 2005. Remote Sensing and the Control of Infectious Diseases: Proceedings of an Interamerican Workshop. ENSP/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, 104 pp.