Associate Professor Claudia Muñoz-Zanzi is an internationally recognized researcher on the eco-epidemiology of zoonotic diseases — how biological and environmental factors play into the diseases that pass between humans and animals. Muñoz-Zanzi has a strong record of collaborating with scientists and public health officials around the world to reduce the impact of neglected zoonotic infections and reduce global health disparities.
Q. What drew you to working with zoonotic infectious diseases in the public health realm?
Muñoz-Zanzi: I was always passionate about science and research. I went to veterinary school in my country, Chile, and I knew from the start that I wanted a career in academia. I came to the U.S. for graduate school and received a master’s degree in preventive veterinary medicine and later on a PhD in epidemiology, which I found fascinating — how you can turn numbers into understanding infection mechanisms and population-level processes.
My veterinary medicine education put a lot of emphasis on preventive medicine, public health, and environmental health. I knew that I wanted to continue along those lines, and a career in public health was the perfect venue for that.
Q. Why did you choose to work globally?
Muñoz-Zanzi: I want to do my part to improve health, living conditions, wellbeing, and quality of life. Around the world, there’s a lot of awareness of infectious diseases such as malaria and now COVID, but there are many other infectious diseases, including leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, and murine typhus, that don’t get as much funding to identify interventions and implement control programs. Those are, generally, diseases that also affect the poorest people in the world.
Q. Where do you do your work?
Muñoz-Zanzi: My first international project was in Chile, because that’s where I had my network of collaborators. Since that time my work has expanded and I’m currently working in Colombia, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
Q. How do you do your work?
Muñoz-Zanzi: I use multiple approaches to do my work. My community-based work includes primary data collection, which can involve collecting data and samples from people, animals, and the environment. Other times, I use existing data as well as epidemiological modeling.
After Hurricane Maria, for example, there was a big outbreak of leptospirosis in Puerto Rico which was not recognized until many people died. Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonosis transmitted mostly from rodents and other domestic animals that contaminate the environment. Our work investigates the pathogen presence in the communities, transmission to people, and how to implement early diagnosis to design better surveillance and control programs.
Q. How do you partner with the local health systems or officials and what are your ongoing challenges?
Muñoz-Zanzi: My initial entry point is often collaborations with colleagues from local universities. I hope that I bring things to the table and they bring things to the table and I assess regularly if they are benefitting from our work together.
When working internationally, I try to be aware of my role as the outside partner and adapt the leadership model to the local context. The pace of progress can sometimes be frustrating because of lack of global health funding, limited resources, and sometimes challenging local policies and procedures, but it is very rewarding when activities are completed.
Q. What kind of impact are you having?
Muñoz-Zanzi: I am advancing the agenda on leptospirosis and other zoonosic diseases through increasing awareness, knowledge, and partnerships. I am currently the co-chair of the Global Leptospirosis Environmental Action Network. I have completed projects which built local capacity on laboratory testing, equipment, protocols, and programs that were continued by local partners in Chile and Puerto Rico. That’s my hope every time I start a project. I have mentored several international students and I teach global health to our students. I feel privileged to be able to do the work I’m doing.
