Tiago Gräf
Life Sciences
Tiago Gräf is a dynamic scientist who began his academic journey studying biomedicine at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre. He then relocated to Florianópolis to pursue his master’s and doctoral degrees in biotechnology and biosciences at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. During his doctoral studies, Gräf spent time at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and subsequently traveled to South Africa for his post-doctoral work. Upon his return to Brazil he took up an appointment as adjunct professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He is a public health researcher at Fiocruz/Bahia, where his studies focus on virology, evolution, and epidemiology. Despite living near the sea for many years, Gräf prefers hiking in the mountains over surfing. Married to a journalist and a cat parent, Gräf balances his investigations into viral outbreaks and pandemics with his love for music, often finding time to play his double bass and guitar.
Projects
Encephalitis, a severe neurological disease with a high mortality rate, can result in lifelong complications. Common agents often caused by an infection include herpesviruses, enteroviruses, and arboviruses. However, the causative agent remains unidentified in over 50% of encephalitis cases, complicating treatment and patient recovery. Since 2013, there has been a noticeable increase in encephalitis cases in northeastern Brazil, with a fourfold rise compared to previous years. With its climate and urban conditions conducive to the spread of arboviruses, this region has witnessed the co-circulation of the Zika, chikungunya, and dengue viruses since 2014. In addition, several other arboviruses associated with encephalitis exist, many of which are still unknown or rarely observed in Brazil. However, few studies have investigated this subject in the country. In this project, we aim to examine the viruses linked to encephalitis cases in northeastern Brazil and determine whether the observed increase is due to a new virus circulating in the region or the already endemic arboviruses.
