Graduated in Pharmacy and Biochemistry from the Federal University of Paraíba (1981) and Ph.D. in Biology of the Host-Pathogen Relationship from the University of São Paulo (2001). He is currently a senior researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, based at the Aggeu Magalhães Institute, and a 1D Researcher at CNPq. He has experience in the areas of Parasitology and Public Health, with an emphasis on the study of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, working mainly in the following lines of research: eco-epidemiology of tegumentary leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis, biology of reservoir hosts and vector sand flies. It organized scientific events with excellent repercussion in its areas of expertise, such as the first National Workshop on leishmaniasis (Recife, 1993) and Workshops on Molecular Biology and Control of Tropical Diseases Insect Vectors (Entomol1, Entomol2, Entomol3, Entomol4), held in Recife, Brazil. years 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. He presided over the 45th. And the 54th. Congresses of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine, held at the Pernambuco Convention Center in 2009 and 2018, respectively, and the 5th World Congress on Leishmaniasis in 2013, held in Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco. He is the current President of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine and Director of the Instituto Aggeu Magalhães / Fiocruz.