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Hire Denis G. E.

Honduras

USD 250 /hr

Vector-borne disease advisor

Profile Summary

Medical entomologist and vector-borne disease advisor with 10+ years supporting national and regional dengue and malaria programs across Latin America and the Caribbean. I lead the Laboratory of Diagnostics and Research in Medical Entomology (LIDEM) at the Institute of Microbiology Research, National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), and have advised PAHO/WHO, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Palladium, and the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit. I offer market-relevant insight on how Ministries of Health across the region evaluate, procure, budget for, and adopt (or reject) new vector-control products and technologies — including Wolbachia (World Mosquito Program), sterile insect technique (SIT, IAEA), transgenic mosquitoes (Oxitec-type). I also cover phenotypic and molecular insecticide-resistance surveillance (kdr) in Aedes and Anopheles and its implications for insecticide demand. MSc in Tropical Natural Resource Management; first-author publication record in vector biology, surveillance, and resistance.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Microbiology
• ☆ Parasitology
• ☆ Biostatistics
• ☆ Molecular Biology
• ☆ Genetics
• ☆ PCR
• ☆ DNA Sequencing
• ☆ RNA Sequencing
• ☆ Oligonucleotide Synthesis
• ☆ Molecular Ecology
• ☆ Biological Taxonomy/Classification
• ☆ Phylogenetics
• ☆ Population Genetics
• ☆ In vitro Diagnostics
• ☆ Point-of-Care Devices
• ☆ Infectious Disease
• ☆ Tropical Medicine
• ☆ Malaria
• ☆ Dengue
• ☆ Zoonoses

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting
• Data & AI
• Product Development

Writing Technical Writing

Research Market Research, Gap Analysis, Gray Literature Search, Scientific and Technical Research

Consulting Healthcare Consulting, Scientific and Technical Consulting

Data & AI Statistical Analysis, Data Visualization

Product Development Product Evaluation

Work Experience

Investigador

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras

September 2018 - Present

Scientific researchers

Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras

August 2018 - Present

Entomólogo Nacional

Secretaria de Salud de Honduras

September 2015 - August 2018

Microbiólogo General

Secretaria de Salud de Honduras

April 2014 - August 2015

Education

Master in Science

Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán

August 2021 - September 2023

Diploma Scientific Research

Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras

April 2020 - June 2020

Diploma en Fundamentos de Epidemiología

Universidad Tecnológica de Honduras

2017 - 2017

DOCTOR EN MICROBIOLOGIA CON ORIENTACION EN ANALISIS CLÍNICOS (MICROBIOLOGIA)

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras

February 2008 - June 2015

Certifications

• Certification details not provided.

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Gustavo Fontecha, Ana Sánchez, Gabriela Matamoros, Denis Escobar, Bryan Ortiz (2025). A decade of health research capacity building in Honduras: institutional transformation, challenges, and lessons learned . Global Health Action.

Alejandro Zamora, Alejandra Pinto, Denis Escobar, Hugo O. Valdivia, Lesly Chaver, Gloria Ardón, Erick Carranza, Gustavo Fontecha (2025). Genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum field isolates from Honduras in the malaria elimination phase . Current Research in Parasitology & Vector-Borne Diseases.

Sharon Banegas, Denis Escobar, Alejandra Pinto, Marcela Moncada, Gabriela Matamoros, Hugo O. Valdivia, Allan Reyes, Gustavo Fontecha (2024). Asymptomatic Malaria Reservoirs in Honduras: A Challenge for Elimination . Pathogens.

Sharon Banegas, Denis Escobar, Alejandra Pinto, Marcela Moncada, Gabriela Matamoros, Hugo O. Valdivia, Allan Reyes, Gustavo Fontecha (2024). Asymptomatic Malaria Reservoirs in Honduras: A Challenge for Elimination . Pathogens.

Joyce, A.L., Moreno, M., Palomo, L. et al. Genetic variability of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in El Salvador and Honduras: presence of a widespread haplotype and implications for mosquito control. Parasites Vectors 17, 229 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-024-06312-7 .

Sandra Paz, Denis Escobar, Gustavo Fontecha (2023). Update on the susceptibility to chloroquine of Plasmodium falciparum in Honduras . Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease.

Gabriela Matamoros, Denis Escobar, Alejandra Pinto, Delmy Serrano, Eliška Ksandrová, Nicole Grimaldi, Gabriel Juárez-Fontecha, Marcela Moncada, Hugo O. Valdivia, Gustavo Fontecha (2023). PET-PCR reveals low parasitaemia and submicroscopic malarial infections in Honduran Moskitia . Malaria Journal.

Denis Escobar, Fernando Pérez, Bryan Ortiz, Gustavo Fontecha (2023). PCR–RFLP assays for the identification of Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) species circulating in Honduras . Malaria Journal.

Escobar, D., Pérez, F., Ortiz, B., Fontecha, G.(2023). PCR–RFLP assays for the identification of Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) species circulating in Honduras . Malaria Journal. 22. (1).

Matamoros, G., Escobar, D., Pinto, A., Serrano, D., Ksandrová, E., Grimaldi, N., Juárez-Fontecha, G., Moncada, M., Valdivia, H.O., Fontecha, G.(2023). PET-PCR reveals low parasitaemia and submicroscopic malarial infections in Honduran Moskitia . Malaria Journal. 22. (1).

Paz, S., Escobar, D., Fontecha, G.(2023). Update on the susceptibility to chloroquine of Plasmodium falciparum in Honduras . Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease. 54.

Gustavo Fontecha, Denis Escobar, Bryan Ortiz, Alejandra Pinto (2022). A PCR-RFLP Technique to Assess the Geographic Origin of Plasmodium falciparum Strains in Central America . Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease.

Gustavo Fontecha, Denis Escobar, Bryan Ortiz, Alejandra Pinto (2022). A PCR-RFLP Technique to Assess the Geographic Origin of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> Strains in Central America . Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease.

Denis Escobar, Osman Archaga, Allan Reyes, Adalid Palma, Ryan T. Larson, Gissella M. V&#225;squez, Gustavo Fontecha (2022). A Follow-Up to the Geographical Distribution of Anopheles Species in Malaria-Endemic and Non-Endemic Areas of Honduras . Insects.

Denis Escobar, Osman Archaga, Allan Reyes, Adalid Palma, Ryan T. Larson, Gissella M. V&#225;squez, Gustavo Fontecha (2022). A Follow-Up to the Geographical Distribution of <i>Anopheles</i> Species in Malaria-Endemic and Non-Endemic Areas of Honduras . Insects.

Denis Escobar, Bryan Ortiz, Oscar Urrutia, Gustavo Fontecha (2022). Genetic Diversity among Four Populations of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from Honduras as Revealed by Mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome Oxidase I . Pathogens.

Gustavo Fontecha, Denis Escobar, Bryan Ortiz, Alejandra Pinto, Delmy Serrano, Hugo O. Valdivia(2022). Field Evaluation of a Hemozoin-Based Malaria Diagnostic Device in Puerto Lempira, Honduras . Diagnostics. 12. (5). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 1206. {MDPI} {AG}

Gustavo Fontecha, Denis Escobar, Bryan Ortiz, Alejandra Pinto, Delmy Serrano, Hugo O. Valdivia (2022). Field Evaluation of a Hemozoin-Based Malaria Diagnostic Device in Puerto Lempira, Honduras . Diagnostics.

Denis Escobar, Bryan Ortiz, Oscar Urrutia, Gustavo Fontecha (2022). Genetic Diversity among Four Populations of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> (Diptera: Culicidae) from Honduras as Revealed by Mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome Oxidase I . Pathogens.

Fontecha, G., Escobar, D., Ortiz, B., Pinto, A., Serrano, D., Valdivia, H.O.(2022). Field Evaluation of a Hemozoin-Based Malaria Diagnostic Device in Puerto Lempira, Honduras . Diagnostics. 12. (5).

Escobar, D., Ortiz, B., Urrutia, O., Fontecha, G.(2022). Genetic Diversity among Four Populations of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from Honduras as Revealed by Mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome Oxidase I . Pathogens. 11. (6).

Escobar, D., Archaga, O., Reyes, A., Palma, A., Larson, R.T., V&#225;squez, G.M., Fontecha, G.(2022). A Follow-Up to the Geographical Distribution of Anopheles Species in Malaria-Endemic and Non-Endemic Areas of Honduras . Insects. 13. (6).

Fontecha, G., Escobar, D., Ortiz, B., Pinto, A.(2022). A PCR-RFLP Technique to Assess the Geographic Origin of Plasmodium falciparum Strains in Central America . Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 7. (8).

(2020). Distribution and phylogenetic diversity of Anopheles species in malaria endemic areas of Honduras in an elimination setting . Parasites & Vectors.

Denis Escobar, Krisnaya Ascencio, Andr&#233;s Ortiz, Adalid Palma, Ana S&#225;nchez, Gustavo Fontecha(2020). Blood Meal Sources of Anopheles spp. in Malaria Endemic Areas of Honduras . Insects. 11. (7). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 450. {MDPI} {AG}

Escobar D, Ascencio K, Ortiz A, Palma A, Fontecha G. Distribution and phylogenetic diversity of Anopheles species in malaria endemic areas of Honduras in an elimination setting. Parasit Vectors. 2020;13(1):333. Published 2020 Jul 1. doi:10.1186/s13071-020-04203-1 .

Denis Escobar, Krisnaya Ascencio, Andr&#233;s Ortiz, Adalid Palma, Ana S&#225;nchez, Gustavo Fontecha (2020). Blood Meal Sources of <i>Anopheles</i> spp. in Malaria Endemic Areas of Honduras . Insects.

Palma, A., Matamoros, G., Escobar, D., S&#225;nchez, A.L., Fontecha, G.(2020). Absence of mutations associated with resistance to benzimidazole in the beta-tubulin gene of ascaris suum . Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical. 53.

Escobar, D., Ascencio, K., Ortiz, A., Palma, A., Fontecha, G.(2020). Distribution and phylogenetic diversity of Anopheles species in malaria endemic areas of Honduras in an elimination setting . Parasites and Vectors. 13. (1).

Adalid Palma, Gabriela Matamoros, Denis Escobar, Ana Lourdes S&#225;nchez, Gustavo Fontecha(2020). Absence of mutations associated with resistance to benzimidazole in the beta-tubulin gene of Ascaris suum . Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical. 53. {FapUNIFESP} ({SciELO})

Escobar, D., Ascencio, K., Ortiz, A., Palma, A., S&#225;nchez, A., Fontecha, G.(2020). Blood meal sources of anopheles spp. In malaria endemic areas of honduras . Insects. 11. (7). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 1-12.

Fontecha, G., Pinto, A., Escobar, D., Matamoros, G., Ortiz, B.(2019). Genetic variability of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich proteins 2 and 3 in Central America . Malaria Journal. 18. (1).

OTHER

Ortiz-Moraz&#225;n, A.S., Moncada, M.M., Escobar, D., Cabrera-Moreno, L.A., Fontecha, G.(2023). Coevolutionary analysis of the Pfs47-P47Rec complex: a bioinformatics approach . Research Square.

Escobar, D., Archaga, O., Reyes, A., Palma, A., Larson, R.T., V&#225;squez, G.M., Fontecha, G.(2022). A follow-up to the geographical distribution of Anopheles species in malaria- endemic and non-endemic areas of Honduras . Research Square.

Escobar, D., Pinto, A., Serrano, D., Ksandrov&#225;, E., Grimaldi, N., Ju&#225;rez-Fontecha, G., Moncada, M., Valdivia, H.O., Fontecha, G., Matamoros, G.(2022). PET-PCR reveals low parasitaemia and submicroscopic malarial infections in Honduran Moskitia . Research Square.

Escobar, D., P&#233;rez, F., Ortiz, B., Fontecha, G.(2022). PCR-RFLP assays for the identification of Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) species circulating in Honduras . Research Square.

Jos&#233; Orlinder Nicolas, Denis Escobar, Engels Banegas, Jos&#233; Ram&#243;n Valdez, Rosa Elena Mej&#237;a Torres, Prabhjot Singh (2021). Micro-Stratification for Malaria Transmission Risk in a High Burden Area of Honduras .

Nicolas, J.O., Escobar, D., Banegas, E., Valdez, J.R., Torres, R.E.M., Singh, P.(2021). Micro-Stratification for Malaria Transmission Risk in a High Burden Area of Honduras . Research Square.

Ledoux, S., Torres Gutierrez, C., Lobo, N.F., Murillo, E.M., P&#233;rez, S., Guerra, R., Avendano, S.C., Orellana Herrera, &#193;.G., Mendoza, A., Escobar, D., et al.(2020). The need to harmonize insecticide resistance testing: methodology, intensity concentrations and molecular mechanisms evaluated in Aedes aegypti populations in Central America and Hispaniola . bioRxiv.

PREPRINT

Sarah Ledoux, Carolina Torres Gutierrez, Neil F. Lobo, Elizabeth Melany Murillo, Silvia P&#233;rez, Roc&#237;o Guerra, Sayra Chanquin Avendano, &#193;ngel Gabriel Orellana Herrera, Aar&#243;n Mendoza, Denis Escobar, et al. (2020). The need to harmonize insecticide resistance testing: methodology, intensity concentrations and molecular mechanisms evaluated inAedes aegyptipopulations in Central America and Hispaniola .