Dr Guilherme Dias de Melo obtained a degree in Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in Medical and Surgical Pathophysiology from the São Paulo State University (Araçatuba, Brazil). He is currently an Assistant Professor at the Institut Pasteur (Paris, France), Lyssavirus Epidemiology and Neuropathology Unit. The focus of his research is to unravel the neuropathogenic aspects of emerging and neglected pathogens.
Dr Dias de Melo works primarily on understanding the neuropathogenesis of rabies, from neuronal dysfunction and inflammation to behavioral changes, with the ultimate goal of developing new therapeutic approaches for symptomatic rabies.
Since 2020, one of Dr. Dias de Melo's research priorities has been the study of the neurotropic potential of SARS-CoV-2. Dr Dias de Melo contributed to the understanding of the mechanisms of anosmia induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection, showing that the virus infects olfactory sensory neurons in humans and animals. He is now focused on developing tools to unravel the mechanisms of neuronal infection, brain invasion and persistence, and long-lasting neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms.
