Dr Laura Valerio

Laboratory Technician

I obtained a MSc in Biology at RomaTre University in 2003 with a master Thesis on the zoogeographical distribution of the scarab beetles in Italy and the analysis of their decline.

In 2007 I obtained a PhD in Public Health Sciences and Microbiology at the University of Rome Sapienza, Italy with a thesis on the host feeding and resting behaviours of Aedes albopictus in Rome.

An Institute Pasteur Fellowship took me to the University of Davis, California for 3 years (2008-2011) where I collaborated in a GCH project “Genetic strategies for control of dengue virus transmission” where I studied the dispersal of Aedes aegypti males in Southern Mexico and performed the first field-cage evaluation of a transgenic mosquito line.

In 2013 I got a part-time position as insectary technician at the University of Perugia and in 2014 I gained a Postdoctoral fellow in the same university in the frame of the project “Homing Endonuclease Genes: New Tools for Mosquito Population Engineering and Control” to characterize transgenic Anopheles gambiae lines”.
In 2017 I got a part-time position as insectary technician in LITE.

Selected publications

  • Valerio L, North A, Collins CM, Mumford JD, Facchinelli L, Spaccapelo R, Benedict M 2016. Comparison of model predictions and laboratory observations of transgene frequencies in continuously breeding mosquito populations. Insects 7(4), 47. DOI: 10.3390/insects7040047

    Valerio L, Collins M, Lees RS, Benedict MQ 2016. Benchmarking vector arthropod culture: An example using the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae). Malaria Journal 15:262 DOI 10.1186/s12936-016-1288-4

    Facchinelli L, Valerio L, Lees RS, Oliva CF, Persampieri T, Collins CM, Crisanti A, Spaccapelo R, Benedict MQ 2015. Stimulating Anopheles gambiae swarms in the laboratory: application for behavioural and fitness studies. Malaria Journal 14:271. DOI: 10.1186/s12936-015-0792-2

    Ramsey JM, Bond JG, Macotela ME, Facchinelli L, Valerio L, Brown DM, Scott TW, James AA 2014. A Regulatory Structure for Working with Genetically Modified Mosquitoes: Lessons from Mexico. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002623

    Walsh RK, Aguilar CL, Facchinelli L, Valerio L, Ramsey JM, Scott TW, Lloyd AL, Gould F 2013. Regulation of Aedes aegypti population dynamics in field systems: Quantifying direct and delayed density dependence. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 89(1):68-77. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.12-0378.

    Facchinelli L, Valerio L, Ramsey JM, Gould F, Walsh RK, Bond G, Robert MA, Lloyd AL, James AA, Alphey L, Scott TW 2013. Field Cage Studies and Progressive Evaluation of Genetically-Engineered Mosquitoes. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 7(1): e2001. DOI:10.1371/journal.pntd.0002001
    Robert MA, Legros M, Facchinelli L, Valerio L, Ramsey JM, Scott TW, Gould F, Lloyd AL 2012.

    Mathematical models as aids for design and interpretation of experiments: The case of transgenic mosquitoes. Journal of Medical Entomology 49(6):1177-1188.

    Valerio L, Facchinelli L, Ramsey JM, Scott TW 2012. Dispersal of male Aedes aegypti in a costal village in southern Mexico. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 86(4):665-76

    Helinski ME, Valerio L, Facchinelli L, Scott TW, Ramsey J, Harrington LC 2012. Evidence of polyandry in Aedes aegypti in semi-field enclosures. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 86(4):635-41.

    Facchinelli L, Valerio L, Bond Campeón G, Wise de Valdez M, Harrington LC, Casas-Martinez M, Ramsey JM, Scott TW 2011. Development of a semi-field system for contained field trials with Aedes aegypti in Southern Mexico. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 85(2):248-56.

    Ascoli V, Senis G, Zucchetto A, Valerio L, Facchinelli L, Budroni M, Dal Maso L, Coluzzi M 2009. Distribution of 'promoter' sandflies associated with incidence of classic Kaposi's sarcoma. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. Sep;23(3):217-25.

    Valerio L, Marini F, Bongiorno G, Facchinelli L, Pombi M, Caputo B, Maroli M, Della Torre A 2009. Host-Feeding Patterns of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Urban and Rural Contexts within Rome Province, Italy. Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. Apr;10(3):291-4

    Facchinelli L, Koenraadt CJM, Fanello C, Kijchalao U, Valerio L, Jones JW, Scott TW, della Torre A 2008. A novel sticky trap for Aedes (Stegomyia) adults collects more mosquitoes outdoors when tested in a dengue-endemic area in Thailand. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 78(6):904-9.

    Facchinelli L, Valerio L, Pombi M, Reiter P, Costantini C, della Torre A 2007. Development of a novel sticky-trap for container-breeding mosquitoes and evaluation of its sampling properties to monitor urban populations of Aedes albopictus. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 21(2):183-95.

    Carpaneto GM, Mazziotta A, Valerio L, 2007. Inferring species decline from collection records: roller dung beetles in Italy (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae). Diversity and Distributions, 13:903-919.

    Ascoli V, Facchinelli L, Valerio L, Manno D, Coluzzi M. 2006. Kaposi's sarcoma, human herpesvirus 8 infection and the potential role of promoter-arthropod bites in northern Sweden. Journal of Medical Virology. 78(11):1452-5.

    Ascoli V, Facchinelli L, Valerio L, Zucchetto A, Dal Maso L, Coluzzi M. 2006. The distribution of mosquito species in areas with high and low incidence of classic Kaposi's sarcoma and seroprevalence for HHV-8. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 20(2):198-208.

    Valerio L & Maroli M, 2005. “Valutazione dell’effetto repellente ed anti-feeding dell’olio d’aglio Annali Istituto Superiore di Sanità 41(2):253-256.