Implementation of Dried Blood Spots (DBS) for Hepatitis C (HCV) Elimination

Elisa did her Master’s in Clinical Microbiology at the Microbiology Department in Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, within Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Barcelona, Spain. Then, she was guest researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, USA, where she undertook the experimental part of her PhD from 2001 to 2003. Afterwards, she completed her predoctoral training at the Center of Epidemiological Studies on HIV/STIs in Catalonia (CEEISCAT), and defended her doctoral thesis in 2005, for which she received two awards. Back at the Microbiology Department in Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital, Dr. Martró started a research line on hepatitis C virus in 2006 as a postdoc, and then as a principal investigator since 2010, when she entered the Miguel Servet programme funded by the Spanish Government. Since then, Dr. Martró leads the research group on Clinical Virology and New Diagnostic Approaches at IGTP. The research focus of her group was originally the study of HCV genetic variability and its clinical applications in personalized medicine, and the characterization of HCV molecular epidemiology. Dr. Martro’s current research is focussed on improving HCV diagnosis in vulnerable groups (MSM, sex workers, PWIDs and migrants) in the community setting through novel molecular assays and screening strategies. Her work characterising the local HCV epidemics in these collectives has led her to participate in the Commission for the elaboration of the “Plan for the Prevention and Control of hepatitis C in Catalonia”. She is also a member of Group 27 of CIBER in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP) of Instituto de Salud Carlos III and of the Clinical Microbiology.

Emmanuel received his BSc Honors degree in Microbiology in 2004 from the University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia and his MSc degree in Epidemiology in 2017 from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK. He has worked for over 15 years as diagnostics advisor in variety of resource-limited settings in sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia and the Western Pacific strengthening laboratory capacity for the diagnosis and response of infectious diseases including HIV, TB, Viral Hepatitis and STIs. He currently works with FIND in the HCV R&D Program.  

Dr. Meehan serves as Hepatitis Diagnostics Program Manager at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). Tim has a PhD in Diagnostics and a commercial background developing molecular and point of care tests for infectious diseases in low resource settings. He is an experienced team leader with extensive experience working internationally in cross-disciplinary environments.