Dr Irma Lopez Martinez

Dr Irma Lopez Martinez is the Director of Diagnosis and Reference at the Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference of Mexico (InDRE). She currently serves as the director of two WHO collaborating centers, one related to the study of Arboviruses and the other for training in microscopy for the diagnosis of Malaria. She is also currently director of the National Influenza and COVID-19 Center. She has been working for the Mexican Ministry of Health for 24 years and has belonged to the national system of researchers 1997. Her research duties previously included, being the director of the viral respiratory acute viral infection’s laboratory (1996 to 2002), Head of the department of emerging diseases (2000 to 2002), Head of the department of viral diseases (2002 to 2004) and, Head of the virology department (2004 to 2014). She also was involved in the establishment of the National Network of Laboratories for the Epidemiological Surveillance of Influenza. Ms. Lopez Martinez has been the PI of several national and international grants; Finally, she has been an Immunology professor at the National and the Pan-American Universities. She has authored 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications.