Ranju Manoj BVSc, MVSc, PhD
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Ranju Manoj BVSc, MVSc, PhD, the Merck Resident in Veterinary Parasitology, will be completing her residency training towards board certification in parasitology under the guidance of Dr. Manigandan Lejeune Virapin, PhD (DACVM-Parasit.), Assistant Professor of Practice and Director of the Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory and Dwight Bowman, Professor of Parasitology of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell University. Dr. Ranju has completed her BVSc in 2007 at College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookot (KVASU), then earned MVSc in Parasitology (2011) from Madras Veterinary College, India (TANUVAS) and finishing her PhD (2022) from University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy working on vector-borne zoonoses, including onchocercid nematodes and their endosymbiont Wolbachia.
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Five Questions with NCVP Merck Resident Dr. Ranju Manoj
Tell us a little about your background. Where are you from, what are some of the defining experiences of your life?
I am from Kerala, the southern part of India. I would like to introduce myself as a veterinarian with a post graduate degree in veterinary parasitology from Madras Veterinary College, Chennai, India. Currently, I am completing my PhD in veterinary parasitology (Animal Health and Zoonoses), with emphasis on molecular diagnosis, under the supervision of Prof. Domenico Otranto and Dr. Maria Stefania Latrofa at the Dept. of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Italy. I was fortunate to get immense support from both my family and mentors to achieve my goals.
How did you initially became interested in veterinary medicine?
The passion for biology started from my high school days as it forms the foundation for health science, agriculture, and the pharmaceutical industries. Motivated for higher studies in health science, I mastered biology and chemistry at higher secondary level. My love for animals since childhood made me choose Veterinary Medicine at Kerala Agricultural University for my Bachelor’s degree.
How did you become interested in parasitology? When did you know it would be your field?
On completion of my BVSc, I practiced as a field veterinarian for one year, when I realized that parasitic diseases are real problem for large and small animals despite several anti-parasitic drugs on the market. This persuaded me to acquire speciality training in veterinary parasitology for my Master’s degree. After masters, I continued my career as a research associate working on National scheme funded projects in gastrointestinal parasitism with research focus in identification of virulence factors associated with Theileria annulata infection in Indian cattle. These research experiences helped to further develop a strong desire for advanced skills and specialization in veterinary parasitology.
What focus have you chosen for your residency? Where will your research efforts be directed?
A couple of projects are already running in AHDC. Apart from being the part of the available projects, I will also associate myself with the proposed study on identifying the vector potential of soft ticks (Ornithodorus spp.) of North America for African Swine Fever (ASF) virus. The proposed study is a collaborative effort of Drs. Mani Lejeune and Diego Diel (Virologist) at Cornell CVM. Through this research, I hope to establish soft tick colonies of local species and fundamental work to prove their vector capabilities for ASF.
What is your plan after your residency? What would you like to accomplish over the course of your career?
I strongly believe that NCVP residency training program will guide me to achieve my goals of developing competencies in diagnostic parasitology that will equip me with the advanced training that is necessary to accomplish the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM) board certification in parasitology. This residency Program will provide me an opportunity to work with eminent parasitologists, which will enhance my skillset in clinical parasitology and will help to mould me as a subject matter specialist. This will strengthen my ability to conduct scientific projects and to perform field and laboratory-based research applied to parasitology and One Health. My long-term career goal is to work for the betterment of animal health, concentrate on diagnostic Parasitology and contribute to One Health program through scientific research. Further, I would like to participate in educating the future generations of veterinarians and parasitologists.
I am from Kerala, the southern part of India. I would like to introduce myself as a veterinarian with a post graduate degree in veterinary parasitology from Madras Veterinary College, Chennai, India. Currently, I am completing my PhD in veterinary parasitology (Animal Health and Zoonoses), with emphasis on molecular diagnosis, under the supervision of Prof. Domenico Otranto and Dr. Maria Stefania Latrofa at the Dept. of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Italy. I was fortunate to get immense support from both my family and mentors to achieve my goals.
How did you initially became interested in veterinary medicine?
The passion for biology started from my high school days as it forms the foundation for health science, agriculture, and the pharmaceutical industries. Motivated for higher studies in health science, I mastered biology and chemistry at higher secondary level. My love for animals since childhood made me choose Veterinary Medicine at Kerala Agricultural University for my Bachelor’s degree.
How did you become interested in parasitology? When did you know it would be your field?
On completion of my BVSc, I practiced as a field veterinarian for one year, when I realized that parasitic diseases are real problem for large and small animals despite several anti-parasitic drugs on the market. This persuaded me to acquire speciality training in veterinary parasitology for my Master’s degree. After masters, I continued my career as a research associate working on National scheme funded projects in gastrointestinal parasitism with research focus in identification of virulence factors associated with Theileria annulata infection in Indian cattle. These research experiences helped to further develop a strong desire for advanced skills and specialization in veterinary parasitology.
What focus have you chosen for your residency? Where will your research efforts be directed?
A couple of projects are already running in AHDC. Apart from being the part of the available projects, I will also associate myself with the proposed study on identifying the vector potential of soft ticks (Ornithodorus spp.) of North America for African Swine Fever (ASF) virus. The proposed study is a collaborative effort of Drs. Mani Lejeune and Diego Diel (Virologist) at Cornell CVM. Through this research, I hope to establish soft tick colonies of local species and fundamental work to prove their vector capabilities for ASF.
What is your plan after your residency? What would you like to accomplish over the course of your career?
I strongly believe that NCVP residency training program will guide me to achieve my goals of developing competencies in diagnostic parasitology that will equip me with the advanced training that is necessary to accomplish the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM) board certification in parasitology. This residency Program will provide me an opportunity to work with eminent parasitologists, which will enhance my skillset in clinical parasitology and will help to mould me as a subject matter specialist. This will strengthen my ability to conduct scientific projects and to perform field and laboratory-based research applied to parasitology and One Health. My long-term career goal is to work for the betterment of animal health, concentrate on diagnostic Parasitology and contribute to One Health program through scientific research. Further, I would like to participate in educating the future generations of veterinarians and parasitologists.
Recent Publications by Dr. Ranju Manoj
Manoj, R.R.S., Iatta, R., Latrofa, M.S., Capozzi, L., Raman, M., Colella, V. and Otranto, D., 2020. Canine vector-borne pathogens from dogs and ticks from Tamil Nadu, India. Acta tropica, 203, 105308.
Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Cavalera, M.A., Mendoza‐Roldan, J.A., Maia, C. and Otranto, D., 2021. Molecular detection of zoonotic filarioids in Culex spp. from Portugal. Medical and Veterinary Entomology.
Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Epis, S. and Otranto, D., 2021. Wolbachia: endosymbiont of onchocercid nematodes and their vectors. Parasites & Vectors, 14(1), 1-24.
Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A. and Otranto, D., 2021. Molecular detection of Wolbachia endosymbiont in reptiles and their ectoparasites. Parasitology Research, 120(9), 3255-3261.
Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Gabrielli, S., Cascio, A., Manoj, R.R.S., Bezerra-Santos, M.A., Benelli, G., Brianti, E., Latrofa, M.S. and Otranto, D., 2021. Zoonotic Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens infection in humans and an integrative approach to the diagnosis. Acta Tropica, 223, 106083.
Laidoudi, Y., Otranto, D., Stolowy, N., Amrane, S., Santhakumari Manoj, R.R.S., Polette, L., Watier-Grillot, S., Mediannikov, O., Davoust, B. and L'Ollivier, C., 2021. Human and animal dirofilariasis in Southeast of France. Microorganisms, 9(7), 1544.
Manoj, R.R.S., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Latrofa, M.S., Remesar, S., Brianti, E. and Otranto, D., 2021. Molecular detection of zoonotic blood pathogens in ticks from illegally imported turtles in Italy. Acta Tropica, 222, 106038.
Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Bezerra-Santos, M.A., Sgroi, G., Samarelli, R., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Otranto, D., 2022. Molecular detection and characterization of the endosymbiont Wolbachia in the European hedgehog flea, Archaeopsylla erinacei. Infection, Genetics Evolution, 97, 105161, doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2021.105161.
Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Louni, M., Laidoudi, Y., Fenollar, F., Otranto, D., Mediannikov, O., Cell co-culture models for the maintenance of the endosymbiont Wolbachia of Dirofilaria immitis. Submitted.
Alanazi, A.D., Nguyen, V.L., Alyousif, M.S., Manoj, R.R.S., Alouffi, A.S., Donato, R., Sazmand, A., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Dantas-Torres, F. and Otranto, D., 2020. Ticks and associated pathogens in camels (Camelus dromedarius) from Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. Parasites & vectors, 13(1), 1-9.
Sgroi, G., Iatta, R., Lia, R.P., D’Alessio, N., Manoj, R.R.S., Veneziano, V. and Otranto, D., 2021. Spotted fever group rickettsiae in Dermacentor marginatus from wild boars in Italy. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 68(4), 2111-2120.
Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Ravindran Santhakumari Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Iatta, R., Annoscia, G., Lovreglio, P., Stufano, A., Dantas-Torres, F., Davoust, B., Laidoudi, Y. and Mediannikov, O., 2021. Role of reptiles and associated arthropods in the epidemiology of rickettsioses: a one health paradigm. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 15(2), e0009090.
Bezerra-Santos, M.A., Nguyen, V.L., Iatta, R., Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Hodžić, A., Dantas-Torres, F., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A. and Otranto, D., 2021. Genetic variability of Ehrlichia canis TRP36 in ticks, dogs, and red foxes from Eurasia. Veterinary Microbiology, 255, 109037.
Nguyen, V.L., Iatta, R., Manoj, R.R.S., Colella, V., Bezerra-Santos, M.A., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A. and Otranto, D., 2021. Molecular detection of Trypanosoma evansi in dogs from India and Southeast Asia. Acta tropica, 220, 105935.
Latrofa, M.S., Mendoza-Roldan, J., Manoj, R.R.S., Dantas-Torres, F. and Otranto, D., 2021. A duplex real-time PCR assay for the detection and differentiation of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tarentolae in vectors and potential reservoir hosts. Entomologia Generalis 41 (5), 543 – 551.
Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Latrofa, M.S., Iatta, R., Manoj, R.R.S., Panarese, R., Annoscia, G., Pombi, M., Zatelli, A., Beugnet, F. and Otranto, D., 2021. Detection of Leishmania tarentolae in lizards, sand flies and dogs in southern Italy, where Leishmania infantum is endemic: hindrances and opportunities. Parasites & Vectors, 14(1), 1-12.
Mendoza‐Roldan JA, Latrofa MS, Tarallo VD, Manoj R.R.S., Bezerra‐Santos MA, Annoscia G, Iatta R, Otranto D. Leishmania spp. in Squamata reptiles from the Mediterranean basin. 2021, Transboundary and Emerging Diseases.
Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Cavalera, M.A., Mendoza‐Roldan, J.A., Maia, C. and Otranto, D., 2021. Molecular detection of zoonotic filarioids in Culex spp. from Portugal. Medical and Veterinary Entomology.
Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Epis, S. and Otranto, D., 2021. Wolbachia: endosymbiont of onchocercid nematodes and their vectors. Parasites & Vectors, 14(1), 1-24.
Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A. and Otranto, D., 2021. Molecular detection of Wolbachia endosymbiont in reptiles and their ectoparasites. Parasitology Research, 120(9), 3255-3261.
Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Gabrielli, S., Cascio, A., Manoj, R.R.S., Bezerra-Santos, M.A., Benelli, G., Brianti, E., Latrofa, M.S. and Otranto, D., 2021. Zoonotic Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens infection in humans and an integrative approach to the diagnosis. Acta Tropica, 223, 106083.
Laidoudi, Y., Otranto, D., Stolowy, N., Amrane, S., Santhakumari Manoj, R.R.S., Polette, L., Watier-Grillot, S., Mediannikov, O., Davoust, B. and L'Ollivier, C., 2021. Human and animal dirofilariasis in Southeast of France. Microorganisms, 9(7), 1544.
Manoj, R.R.S., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Latrofa, M.S., Remesar, S., Brianti, E. and Otranto, D., 2021. Molecular detection of zoonotic blood pathogens in ticks from illegally imported turtles in Italy. Acta Tropica, 222, 106038.
Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Bezerra-Santos, M.A., Sgroi, G., Samarelli, R., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Otranto, D., 2022. Molecular detection and characterization of the endosymbiont Wolbachia in the European hedgehog flea, Archaeopsylla erinacei. Infection, Genetics Evolution, 97, 105161, doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2021.105161.
Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Louni, M., Laidoudi, Y., Fenollar, F., Otranto, D., Mediannikov, O., Cell co-culture models for the maintenance of the endosymbiont Wolbachia of Dirofilaria immitis. Submitted.
Alanazi, A.D., Nguyen, V.L., Alyousif, M.S., Manoj, R.R.S., Alouffi, A.S., Donato, R., Sazmand, A., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Dantas-Torres, F. and Otranto, D., 2020. Ticks and associated pathogens in camels (Camelus dromedarius) from Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. Parasites & vectors, 13(1), 1-9.
Sgroi, G., Iatta, R., Lia, R.P., D’Alessio, N., Manoj, R.R.S., Veneziano, V. and Otranto, D., 2021. Spotted fever group rickettsiae in Dermacentor marginatus from wild boars in Italy. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 68(4), 2111-2120.
Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Ravindran Santhakumari Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Iatta, R., Annoscia, G., Lovreglio, P., Stufano, A., Dantas-Torres, F., Davoust, B., Laidoudi, Y. and Mediannikov, O., 2021. Role of reptiles and associated arthropods in the epidemiology of rickettsioses: a one health paradigm. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 15(2), e0009090.
Bezerra-Santos, M.A., Nguyen, V.L., Iatta, R., Manoj, R.R.S., Latrofa, M.S., Hodžić, A., Dantas-Torres, F., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A. and Otranto, D., 2021. Genetic variability of Ehrlichia canis TRP36 in ticks, dogs, and red foxes from Eurasia. Veterinary Microbiology, 255, 109037.
Nguyen, V.L., Iatta, R., Manoj, R.R.S., Colella, V., Bezerra-Santos, M.A., Mendoza-Roldan, J.A. and Otranto, D., 2021. Molecular detection of Trypanosoma evansi in dogs from India and Southeast Asia. Acta tropica, 220, 105935.
Latrofa, M.S., Mendoza-Roldan, J., Manoj, R.R.S., Dantas-Torres, F. and Otranto, D., 2021. A duplex real-time PCR assay for the detection and differentiation of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tarentolae in vectors and potential reservoir hosts. Entomologia Generalis 41 (5), 543 – 551.
Mendoza-Roldan, J.A., Latrofa, M.S., Iatta, R., Manoj, R.R.S., Panarese, R., Annoscia, G., Pombi, M., Zatelli, A., Beugnet, F. and Otranto, D., 2021. Detection of Leishmania tarentolae in lizards, sand flies and dogs in southern Italy, where Leishmania infantum is endemic: hindrances and opportunities. Parasites & Vectors, 14(1), 1-12.
Mendoza‐Roldan JA, Latrofa MS, Tarallo VD, Manoj R.R.S., Bezerra‐Santos MA, Annoscia G, Iatta R, Otranto D. Leishmania spp. in Squamata reptiles from the Mediterranean basin. 2021, Transboundary and Emerging Diseases.