Isaura Simões is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Old Dominion University (USA) and a Principal Investigator at the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra (Portugal). Her research focuses on host-pathogen interactions, particularly how vector-borne pathogens such as Rickettsia and Ehrlichia evade innate immune responses. She integrates molecular microbiology, enzymology, and proteomics to uncover mechanisms of immune evasion and infection, with a particular interest in how pathogenicity varies across Rickettsia species. Dr. Simões is actively involved in international collaborations and serves on the Executive Committee of the American Society for Rickettsiology.