Rubens C. Costa-Filho | Infection | Excellence in Research Award 

Dr. Rubens C. Costa-Filho | Infection | Excellence in Research Award 

Prof. Dr. Rubens Costa-Filho | FIOCRUZ/IOC | Brazil

Dr. Rubens C. Costa-Filho is an accomplished physician–scientist whose career spans decades of leadership, research, and academic contribution in the fields of intensive care, sepsis, hemostasis, thrombosis, and infectious diseases. His professional trajectory reflects a deep commitment to developing evidence-based practices, advancing critical care medicine, and contributing to scientific understanding through both clinical innovation and academic inquiry. His extensive experience includes the founding and long-term coordination of a major intensive care service, where he played a key role in establishing advanced protocols for the management of critically ill patients, with a particular focus on cardiovascular emergencies, sepsis, and multi-system organ dysfunction. His involvement in the creation of the Latin American Institute of Sepsis marked an important milestone in the region’s coordinated response to sepsis, strengthening collaborative research efforts, promoting professional education, and generating scientific awareness about early diagnosis and effective clinical management. His experience directing a specialized thromboelastometry service further cemented his expertise in coagulation assessment, blood management, and the clinical application of hemostatic monitoring technologies in critical care settings. Through this work, he contributed to improving transfusion practices, guiding therapeutic decision-making, and enhancing clinical outcomes in complex surgical and critically ill patient populations. Dr. Costa-Filho’s academic influence also extends to scientific communication and knowledge dissemination. He has been instrumental in designing educational platforms that connect healthcare professionals with leading experts, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and expanding access to advanced medical knowledge. His commitment to academic development is additionally reflected in his participation in multidisciplinary research groups and continuous engagement with innovations in intensive care medicine, infectious disease epidemiology, and emerging therapeutic strategies. His longstanding involvement with global professional societies has allowed him to contribute to international guidelines, strengthen collaborative networks, and uphold high scientific standards in his fields of expertise. Currently, Dr. Costa-Filho is pursuing doctoral research in Tropical Medicine, expanding his scientific focus to infectious diseases that pose significant global health challenges. His Ph.D. work centers on COVID-19 within the Department of Tropical Medicine, where he contributes to ongoing investigations into immunological and pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease. Working in an immunopharmacology laboratory, he participates in studies examining host responses, inflammatory pathways, and potential therapeutic targets, with the aim of generating translational insights relevant to the management of severe viral infections.
Profiles: Scopus Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Price, V. L., Nanayakkara, A., Pasini, A., Bazellières, E., Vernale, A., Rocher, C., Borchiellini, C., Le Bivic, A., Renard, E., & Leys, S. P. (2025). Why homoscleromorph sponges have ciliated epithelia: Evidence for an ancestral role in mucociliary driven particle flux. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution. Advance online publication.

Costa-Filho, R. C., Oliveira, A., Jr., Saddy, F., Costa, J. L. F., Azevedo, M. S., Cerqueira, D. F., Gualberto, V. H. A., Barbosa, M. I. N. H., Da-Cruz, A. M., & Horta, M. A. (2025). Evaluating the effectiveness of NOACs and LMWH in reducing mortality in critically ill patients with COVID‐19. Journal of Medical Virology. Advance online publication.

Costa-Filho, R. C., Leite, J. P. G., Horta, M. A., Naveca, F. G., Saddy, F., & Castro de Faria Neto, H. C. (2025). Commentary: Evaluation of post-COVID mortality risk in cases classified as severe acute respiratory syndrome in Brazil: A longitudinal study for medium and long term. Frontiers in Medicine, 12, 1558264.

Costa Silva, M., Costa, R. C., Filho, & Estato, V. (2025). Strategic use of intravenous medications to protect target organs in hypertensive emergencies. International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences, 38(1).

Costa-Filho, R. C., Saddy, F., Costa, J. L. F., & Castro Faria Neto, H. C. (2025). The silent threat of human metapneumovirus: Clinical challenges and diagnostic insights from a severe pneumonia case. Microorganisms, 13(1), 73.

Costa-Filho, R. C. (2023). ISTH 2023 | XXXI Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Event Participation.

Costa-Filho, R. C. (2023). PB0073 A retrospective study of two anticoagulation therapies in critically ill COVID-19 patients prior to vaccination era. Conference Poster, ISTH 2023.

Costa-Filho, R., Oliveira, A., Furtado, E., Saddy, F., de Souza, R., Azevedo, M., Cerqueira, D., Gualberto, V., Costa, J., & Castro-Faria-Neto, H. (2023). PB0073 A retrospective study of two anticoagulation therapies in critically ill COVID-19 patients prior to vaccination era. Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 7(10), 100888.

Naveca, F. G., Nascimento, V. A., Nascimento, F., Ogrzewalska, M., Pauvolid-Corrêa, A., Araújo, M. F., Arantes, I., Batista, É. R., Magalhães, A. Á., & Vinhal, F. et al. (2023). SARS-CoV-2 intra-host diversity, antibody response, and disease severity after reinfection by the variant of concern Gamma in Brazil. Scientific Reports, 13, 33443.

Dr. Joseph Blondeau | Clinical Microbiology | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Joseph Blondeau | Clinical Microbiology | Best Researcher Award

Royal University Hospital/University of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Dr. Joseph M. Blondeau is a distinguished microbiologist with extensive expertise in clinical microbiology, infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistance. He currently serves as the Interim Provincial Clinical Lead for Microbiology at the Saskatchewan Health Authority and has been the Head of Clinical Microbiology at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, Canada, since 2000. With a career spanning over three decades, Dr. Blondeau has made significant contributions to medical microbiology, serving as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Saskatchewan while actively consulting for hospitals and laboratories.

Profile

Scopus

🎓 Education

Dr. Joseph M. Blondeau's academic journey began with his B.Sc. in Biology from Dalhousie University in 1983, followed by an Honours B.Sc. in Biology from the same institution in 1985. He continued his studies at Dalhousie, earning a Master of Science in Microbiology in 1985, under the guidance of Dr. J.A. Embil. Dr. Blondeau further advanced his expertise in the field of microbiology, obtaining his Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology from the University of Manitoba in 1989, where he worked under the supervision of Dr. F.Y. Aoki. His solid educational foundation laid the groundwork for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases. Dr. Blondeau's early education was completed at Riverview Rural High School in Coxheath, Nova Scotia, where he graduated with his Academic Grade 12 in 1978.

🏢 Professional Experience

Dr. Joseph M. Blondeau has held several prominent positions in the field of microbiology throughout his career. Since 2019, he has served as the Interim Provincial Clinical Lead for Microbiology at the Saskatchewan Health Authority, overseeing the province's microbiology services. In addition to this, Dr. Blondeau has been the Head of Clinical Microbiology at Royal University Hospital and the Saskatoon Health Region since 2000, where he leads clinical microbiology services and research initiatives. He has also been the Head of Clinical Bacteriology/Clinical Microbiologist at Royal University Hospital since 1996, further establishing his expertise in clinical bacteriology. Dr. Blondeau’s academic contributions have been significant, serving as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Saskatchewan since 1991, where he shares his extensive knowledge with students in microbiology and immunology.

Earlier in his career, he served as the Director of Microbiology/Clinical Microbiologist at St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon from 1991 to 1996, where he led the microbiology department. Dr. Blondeau has also provided consultancy services in various hospitals and laboratories, including Lloydminster Hospital (1991–1997), Biggar Union Hospital (1991–1992), Prairie Associated Pathologist Laboratory (1991–1992), and MDS – Medical Arts Laboratory (1993–1996), where he advised on microbiological diagnostics and treatment.


🔍 Research Interests

Dr. Blondeau’s research primarily focuses on:

Antimicrobial Resistance 🦠

Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 🏥

New Antimicrobial Agents & Testing Methods 💊

Diagnostic Microbiology Innovations 🔬

Bacterial Pathogenesis & Emerging Pathogens 🧫

His work contributes to advancing infection control strategies and optimizing antimicrobial treatment options for public health and hospital settings.

🏆 Awards & Honors

Dalhousie Graduate Fellowship – Faculty of Graduate Studies (1983–85)

Dalhousie Teaching Assistantship – Faculty of Graduate Studies (1983–85)

Dalhousie Graduate Travel Grant – First-ever awarded by the Department of Microbiology (1984)

Dalhousie University Honour Award – Certificate of Distinction for outstanding extracurricular activities (1985)

Certified Registered Microbiologist – Canadian College of Microbiologists (1991)

Specialist Microbiologist in Public Health & Medical Microbiology – Canadian College of Microbiologists (1995)

Fellow, The American College of Chest Physicians – (1997)

📚 Selected Publications

Comparison of the Minimum Inhibitory and Mutant Prevention Drug Concentrations for Pradofloxacin and 7 Other Antimicrobial Agents Tested Against Swine Isolates of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and Pasteurella multocida

Authors: Blondeau, J.M., Fitch, S.D.

Published in: Molecules (2024)

Volume: 29(22)

 

Comparative Minimum Inhibitory and Mutant Prevention Drug Concentrations for Pradofloxacin and Seven Other Antimicrobial Agents Tested Against Bovine Isolates of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida

Authors: Blondeau, J.M., Fitch, S.D.

Published in: Pathogens (2024)

Volume: 13(5)

Citations: 1

Comparative In Vitro Killing by Pradofloxacin in Comparison to Ceftiofur, Enrofloxacin, Florfenicol, Marbofloxacin, Tildipirosin, Tilmicosin, and Tulathromycin Against Bovine Respiratory Bacterial Pathogens

Authors: Blondeau, J.M., Fitch, S.D.

Published in: Microorganisms (2024)

Volume: 12(5)

Citations: 1

Long COVID: A Consequence of Chronic Post-Infectious Inflammation!

Authors: Blondeau, J.M.

Published in: Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine (2024)

Volume: 18(12)