Dr Aitor Casas Sanchez

Biography

Aitor Casas Sanchez gained a BSc in Molecular Biotechnology from the University of Barcelona in 2013, after carrying out his BSc thesis at Trinity College Dublin. In 2018, he obtained a PhD in Molecular Parasitology from the University of Liverpool based at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), funded by the EU-FP7 Marie Skłodowska Curie GlycoPar ITN. Aitor continued his career as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at LSTM and University of Liverpool, working on several Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council-funded projects. In 2020 he started working on his own-funded projects before becoming a Lecturer at LSTM in 2023.

Research interests

Aitor’s research focuses on understanding the functional roles of glycoconjugates (both glycoproteins and glycoRNAs) in viral and parasitic infectious diseases and using this knowledge to develop new strategies to prevent or treat infections. Aitor investigates the importance of N-glycosylation for arbovirus transmission and infection in both mosquito and human hosts and the use of drug inhibitors and multimodal fusion proteins as antiviral strategies to block transmission by mosquitoes. He also studies the molecular interactions between the recently discovered cell-surface glycoRNAs and viruses or parasites, as well as the impact of global warming in arbovirus and mosquito glycosylation in the context of transmission of the diseases.

He also focuses on protein glycosylation in arboviral (e.g. dengue, Zika, and chikungunya fevers) and coronaviral diseases. Previously, Aitor’s research involved the development of vaccines against African trypanosomiases based on the discovery and characterisation of new surface antigens and the study of trypanosome development and molecular interactions within the tsetse vector.

Teaching

Aitor supervises PhD, MRes, MSc, and BSc students. He has extensive teaching experience at LSTM where he lectures in several courses (BSc, MSc, and Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene) on molecular virology, virus and parasite genetic engineering, molecular parasitology, and bioinformatics, including laboratory practical sessions. Aitor has also taught outside LSTM at Imperial College London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and at the world-renowned MBL Biology of Parasitism course in Woods Hole (USA) from 2021 to 2023. Aitor is currently co-directing the MSc molecular module at LSTM. 

Selected research publications

Bioengineered 3D microvessels and complementary animal models reveal mechanisms of Trypanosoma congolense sequestration – Journal: Communications Biology – Published: 27th February 2025

Insights into the transmission cycle of cutaneous leishmaniasis from an endemic community in rural Guatemala – Journal: Current Research in Parasitology and Vector-Borne Diseases – Published: 15th January 2025

The Trypanosoma brucei MISP family of invariant proteins is co-expressed with BARP as triple helical bundle structures on the surface of salivary gland forms, but is dispensable for parasite development within the tsetse vector – Journal: PLoS Pathogens – Published: 30th March 2023

Vivaxin genes encode highly immunogenic, non-variant antigens on the Trypanosoma vivax cell-surface – Journal: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases – Published: 21st September 2022

Inhibition of Protein N-Glycosylation Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Infection – Journal: mBio – Published: 15th February 2022

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