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.

Hygon Mutavhatsindi | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Hygon Mutavhatsindi | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award

Specialist Scientist, SAMRC, South Africa.

Hygon Mutavhatsindi is a Specialist Scientist at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) with a robust background in biochemistry, molecular biology, and immunology. His research explores infectious diseases, particularly tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and COVID-19, using molecular and immunological techniques. Dr. Mutavhatsindi has made significant contributions to immunology and TB research, aiming to identify non-sputum biomarkers to improve TB diagnosis and treatment outcomes. His work has earned him national and international recognition, alongside numerous grants and awards.

Profile

Scopus

Orcid

Education 🎓

Dr. Hygon Mutavhatsindi began his academic journey at the University of Venda, where he earned a BSc in Biochemistry and Biology (2009-2012), followed by an Honours degree in Biochemistry in 2013. He continued to pursue advanced studies at the same institution, obtaining an MSc in Biochemistry (2014-2015). His passion for molecular biology led him to Stellenbosch University, where he completed his PhD in Molecular Biology (2016-2019). During his doctoral studies, Dr. Mutavhatsindi focused on cutting-edge research, contributing to scientific advancements in his field.

Following his PhD, Dr. Mutavhatsindi undertook a prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship in Immunology at the University of Cape Town (2020-2023). During this period, he deepened his expertise in immunological research, working on projects that explored the intricate mechanisms of immune response. His postdoctoral work not only advanced his academic credentials but also positioned him at the forefront of immunological science, further strengthening his research profile and contributing to ongoing scientific discussions in molecular biology and immunology.

Experience 💼

Dr. Hygon Mutavhatsindi currently serves as a Specialist Scientist at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), a role he began in February 2024. In this position, he leads research efforts in tuberculosis (TB) and immunology, supervises postgraduate students, and manages multiple research projects. Prior to this, he was a Scientific Officer at the Cape Town HVTN Immunology Laboratory (May 2023–January 2024), where he conducted clinical studies and flow cytometry experiments, contributing to crucial immunological research.

Before taking on these roles, Dr. Mutavhatsindi completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Cape Town (February 2020–January 2023), where his work focused on TB and COVID-19 immunology. His academic journey began as a PhD Researcher at Stellenbosch University (June 2016–December 2019), where he specialized in identifying TB biomarkers and evaluating treatment responses, building a strong foundation for his later contributions to immunology and infectious disease research.

Research Interests 🔬

TB Biomarkers: Focuses on identifying reliable biomarkers for tuberculosis diagnosis and monitoring treatment efficacy.

Non-Sputum Diagnostic Methods: Investigates blood- and saliva-based biomarkers to develop non-sputum diagnostic alternatives for TB, making diagnosis easier in low-resource settings.

Immunological Responses: Studies the immune system’s response to infectious diseases, with an emphasis on TB, HIV, and COVID-19.

Infectious Disease Immunology: Explores the interactions between pathogens and host immune responses to enhance understanding of disease progression and treatment outcomes.

TB Treatment Monitoring: Aims to develop new methods for tracking patient progress during TB treatment through biomarker discovery.

Cross-Disease Immunology: Compares immune responses across different infectious diseases, seeking common biomarkers and pathways for broader diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Awards 🏆

Awards and Grants:

UCT CIDRI-Africa Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020-2022)

Fogarty HIV-Associated TB Training Program (2020-2022)

NRF Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021-2022)

SAMRC Doctoral Internship Scholarship (2017-2019)

NRF PhD and Masters Scholarships

Publications Top Notes 📚 

Validation and optimisation of host immunological bio-signatures for a point-of-care test for TB diseaseFront. Immunol., 2021. link

Identification of novel salivary candidate protein biomarkers for tuberculosis diagnosisTuberculosis, 2021. link

Protocol to quantify and phenotype SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cell responseStar Protocols, 2022. link

Blood and site of disease inflammatory profiles in HIV-1-infected pericardial tuberculosis patientsOFID, 2023. link

Application of cerebrospinal fluid host protein biosignatures in the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis in childrenMediators of Inflammation, 2019. link