Paulo Bispo, Ph.D.

Harvard Medical School

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology

Research Summary

Center/Research Area Affiliations

Research Summary

Dr. Bispo is a microbiologist dedicated to developing better ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent infections. With training in innovation in clinical and molecular microbiology, his work is at the translational interface between laboratory research and clinical practice. His research focuses on the use of state-of-the-art molecular genetic and genomic approaches to develop new, rapid, sensitive, and comprehensive diagnostic tests. He is also using a combination of genomic and phenotypic approaches to study the epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant infections, biofilm-formation on artificial devices, and the development of novel approaches for prophylaxis and treatment of ocular and otolaryngology infections.  He serves as an assistant director for the Harvard Ophthalmology Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), and manager of the IDI’s Translational Research Initiative.

Education

2005: BS, Biomedical Sciences, University of Araraquara, Brazil

2009: MS, Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

2013: PhD, Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Postgraduate Training

2013-2018: Research Fellowship, Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear

Academic Appointments

2018-present: Member of the Faculty of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School

Honors

2017: Student Travel Grant, 19th International Society for Contact Lens research Symposium

2013-2015: Postdoctoral Fellowship, CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education, Brazil, Program Science without Borders

2011: Johnson & Johnson Award, Co-author, Meeting of the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology

2010-2011: Fellowship Award, CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education, Brazil

2009-2013: Doctoral Research Fellowship, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, CNPQ, Ministry of Science Brazil

2008, 2011, 2012: ASM Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Travel Grant, 48th, 51st, and 52nd ICAAC Annual Meetings, American Society for Microbiology

2007-2009: Master’s Degree Fellowship, Sao Paulo Research Foundation – FAPESP, Brazil 

Publications

Selected Publications

View his publications on PubMed or Google Scholar.

Bispo PJ, de Melo GB, Hofling-Lima AL, Pignatari AC. Detection and gram discrimination of bacterial pathogens from aqueous and vitreous humor using real-time PCR assays. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52(2):873-81.

Bispo PJ, Alfonso EC, Flynn HW, Miller D. Emerging 8-methoxyfluoroquinolone resistance among methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates recovered from patients with endophthalmitis. J Clin Microbiol. 2013;51(9):2959-63.

Bispo PJ, Hofling-Lima AL, Pignatari AC. Characterization of ocular methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates belonging predominantly to clonal complex 2 subcluster II. J Clin Microbiol. 2014;52(5):1412-7.

Valentino MD, McGuire AM, Rosch JW, Bispo PJ, Burnham C, Sanfilippo CM, Carter RA, Zegans ME, Beall B, Earl AM, Tuomanen EI, Morris TW, Haas W, Gilmore MS. Unencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae from conjunctivitis encode variant traits and belong to a distinct phylogenetic cluster. Nat Commun. 2014;5:5411.

Bispo PJ, Davoudi S, Sahm ML, Ren A, Miller J, Romano J, Sobrin L, Gilmore MS. Rapid Detection and Identification of Uveitis Pathogens by Qualitative Multiplex Real-Time PCR. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2018;59:582-589.