Maru Castellanos Reynosa
- maria.castellanosreynosa@jcu.edu.au
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8181-6321- Senior Lecturer, Epidemiology & Communicable Disease Control
- PHTM - Research Methods
Projects
2
Publications
45
Awards
6
Contact Details
Senior Lecturer, Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Control
- +61 7 4781 5556
- maria.castellanosreynosa@jcu.edu.au
Biography
Dr María Eugenia (Maru) Castellanos Reynosa is a Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology & Communicable Disease Control at the College of Medicine and Dentistry. Maru is an epidemiologist and medical microbiologist with over 15 years of experience researching infectious diseases, particularly tuberculosis, malaria and HIV. She has expertise in the data collection, analysis and implementation of epidemiological studies in low-income settings, as shown by her work in Africa and Latin America. She has a BSc in Chemical Biology (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala), a Master in Medical Microbiology (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kindom) and a PhD in Epidemiology (University of Georgia, United States).
Maru is a member of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) and the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD).
Research
Research Interests
Tuberculosis, malaria, HIV, global health, infectious diseases epidemiology, diagnostics, molecular epidemiology.
Projects
Teaching
Teaching Interests
Infectious diseases epidemiology, public health, medical microbiology, introduction to epidemiology, clinical laboratory.
Research Advisor Accreditation
Advisor Type
Primary
Research Advisor Accreditation
Role
Chair; Independent Academic
Taught Modules
[TM5515] Epidemiology for Public HealthLecturer, Coordinator
2025
[TM5525] Communicable Disease ControlCoordinator, Lecturer
2025
2025
Current JCU Research Students
Unveiling National Trends: A Novel Data Linkage Approach to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Epidemiology in Australia
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
Epidemiological Study on the Efficacy of Insecticide-Treated Bednets in Malaria Transmission Contro
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
A Mixed-Methods Study of Soil-Transmitted Helminths, WASH, and Mass Drug Administration in Malaita Province, the Solomon Islands
Master of Philosophy (Health)
International Travel and medical events - an Australian travelinsurance perspective in the Covid-19 era
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
Climate change and the Incidence of Bacteraemia and Antimicrobial Resistance from Foodborne Pathogens in Queensland, Australia
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
Activities
Associations
Reviewer PLOS ONE
2018
Awards
Languages
Output
Carranza, Claudia; Ortiz, Lucia; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Gonzalez-Reiche, Ana Silvia; Mendizabal-Cabrera, Renata; Khalil, Zain; van DeGuchte, Adriana; Farrugia, Keith; Herrera, Mariana; Mena, Ernesto; Cordon-Rosales, Celia; van Bakel, Harm; Perez, Daniel R. (2026) 'Diversity and clinical correlations of SARS-CoV-2 variant during the introduction of the Delta variant in Guatemala'. Access Microbiology, 8 (3). [DOI]
Manchal, Naveen; Young, Megan; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Adegboye, Oyelola A. (2026) 'Rising temperatures and heat waves as drivers of Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteraemia across diverse climatic zones in Queensland, Australia'. Science of the Total Environment, 1023 . [DOI]
Franco, Rubi Gordillo; Ortiz, Lucía; Bardají, Azucena; Castañeda, David; Menendez, Clara; Padilla, Norma; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia (2025) 'Prevalence of submicroscopic congenital malaria and associated risk factors in an area of low endemicity of Guatemala'. Malaria Journal, 25 . [DOI]
Carroll, Siobhan C.; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Neumayr, Andreas; Henning, Lars (2025) 'What's the worst that could happen? The risk of illness, injury, and death related to international travel-the Australian experience'. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 68 . [DOI]
Otolorin, Gbeminiyi R.; Castellanos, María E.; Adegboye, Oyelola A.; McBryde, Emma S. (2025) 'Integrated vector management for malaria control: a review of approaches and effectiveness'. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 119 (11):1223-1232. [DOI]
Herbert, Megan K.; Castellanos Reynosa, Maria Eugenia; Sekandi, Juliet Nabbuye (2025) 'Patient satisfaction with healthcare services influences health-related quality of life in patients living with HIV/AIDS in urban Uganda'. AIDS Care, . [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Korkusuz, Mert Hamdi; Castellanos Reynosa, Maria Eugenia; Harriss, Linton R.; Hempenstall, Allison; Smith, Simon; Hanson, Josh (2025) 'The Incidence of Scabies in Far North Queensland, Tropical Australia: Implications for Local Clinical Practice and Public Health Strategies'. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 10 (4). [DOI]
Manchal, Naveen; Sumana, Mahadevaiah N.; Young, Megan K.; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Leggat, Peter; Adegboye, Oyelola A. (2025) 'The impact of meteorological variables on Salmonella bacteraemia in Mysuru District, Karnataka State, India: a retrospective time-series analysis'. Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease, 12 . [DOI]
Carroll, Siobhan C.; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Stevenson, Robyn A.; Henning, Lars (2025) 'Incidence and risk factors for travellers’ diarrhoea among short-term international adult travellers from high-income countries: a systematic review with meta-analysis of cohort studies'. Journal of Travel Medicine, . [DOI]
Quach, T. H.T.; Kakaire, R.; Zalwango, S.; Sekandi, J. N.; Castellanos, M.E.; Whalen, C. C.; Kiwanuka, N. (2025) 'Culturally relevant settings for TB transmission in an African city with endemic TB'. IJTLD Open, 2 (12):745-750. [DOI]
Manchal, Naveen; Young, Megan K.; Castellanos Reynosa, Maria Eugenia; Adegboye, Oyelola A. (2025) 'No Evidence of Temperature-Driven Antimicrobial Resistance in Salmonella Bacteraemia in Queensland, Australia'. Antibiotics, 14 (12). [DOI]
Manchal, Naveen; Young, Megan K.; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Leggat, Peter; Adegboye, Oyelola (2024) 'A systematic review and meta-analysis of ambient temperature and precipitation with infections from five food-borne bacterial pathogens'. Epidemiology and Infection, 152 . [DOI]
Kiwanuka, N.; Quach, T.; Kakaire, R.; Zalwango, S.; Castellanos Reynosa, M.; Sekandi, J.; Whalen, C.C. (2024) 'Incidence of tuberculous infection in a TB-endemic city'. International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 28 (6):266-272. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Kiwanuka, Noah; Zalwango, Sarah; Kakaire, Robert; Castellanos Reynosa, Maria; Quach, Trang Ho Thu; Whalen, Christopher C. (2024) 'M. tuberculosis Infection Attributable to Exposure in Social Networks of Tuberculosis Cases in an Urban African Community'. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 11 (5). [DOI]
Castellanos Reynosa, Maria Eugenia; Caal, Maria Eugenia; Mercado, Danicela; Medina, Narda; Pérez, Juan Carlos; Emeto, Theophilus I.; Arathoon, Eduardo (2024) 'Clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of patients living with HIV and co-infected with tuberculosis and histoplasmosis: a 5-y retrospective case series'. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 118 (6):391-398. [DOI]
Allen, Tammy; Castellanos Reynosa, Maria; Giacomin, Paul; Karunaweera, Nadira D.; Kupz, Andreas; Carlos LoL, Juan; Sharma, Dileep; Sikder, Suchandan; Tedla, Bemnet; van Eijk, Liza; Vojisavljevic, Danica; Zhao, Guangzu; Pai, Saparna (2024) 'Next-Generation Vaccines for Tropical Infectious Diseases'. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 143 . [DOI]
Performance of a score to characterise adequate contact among the social network of persons with TB
2024
Castellanos, M.E.; Zalwango, S.; Quach, T.H.T.; Kakaire, R.; Martınez, L.; Ebell, M.H.; Dobbin, K.K.; Kiwanuka, N.; Whalen, C.C. (2024) 'Performance of a score to characterise adequate contact among the social network of persons with TB'. IJTLD Open, 1 (12):556-563. [DOI]
van Eijk, Anna Maria; Stepniewska, Kasia; Hill, Jenny; Taylor, Steve M; Rogerson, Stephen J; Cottrell, Gilles; Chico, R Matthew; Gutman, Julie R; Tinto, Halidou; Unger, Holger W; Yanow, Stephanie K; Meshnick, Steven R; ter Kuile, Feiko O; Mayor, Alfredo; van Eijk, Anna Maria; Subpatent Malaria in Pregnancy Group (2023) 'Prevalence of and risk factors for microscopic and submicroscopic malaria infections in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis'. The Lancet Global Health, 11 (7):e1061-e1074. [DOI]
Sekandi, Juliet Nabbuye; Castellanos Reynosa, Maria; Woldu, Henok; Kakaire, Robert; Mutembo, Simon; Mutanga, Jane Namangolwa (2023) 'Patient satisfaction among persons living with HIV/AIDS and receiving antiretroviral therapy in urban Uganda: A factor analysis'. PLoS ONE, 18 (2). [DOI]
Nath, Karthik; Boles, Rachael; Emeto, Theophilus I.; Adegboye, Oyelola A.; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Alele, Faith O.; Pearce, Jessica; Ewart, Barbara; Ward, Kayla; Lai, Hock; Morris, Edward; Hodges, Georgina; Irving, Ian (2023) 'A comprehensive study of the epidemiology of haematological malignancies in North Queensland'. Internal Medicine Journal, 53 (4):540-549. [DOI]
Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Lau-Bonilla, Dalia; Moller, Anneliese; Arathoon, Eduardo; Samayoa, Blanca; Quinn, Frederick D.; Ebell, Mark H.; Dobbin, Kevin K.; Whalen, Christopher C. (2022) 'Characterization of the Proportion of Clustered Tuberculosis Cases in Guatemala: Insights from a Molecular Epidemiology Study, 2010–2014'. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 106 (4):1173-1181. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Woldu, Henok G.; Zalwango, Sarah; Martinez, Leonardo; Castellanos, María Eugenia; Kakaire, Robert; Sekandi, Juliet N.; Kiwanuka, Noah; Whalen, Christopher C. (2021) 'Defining an intermediate category of tuberculin skin test: a mixture model analysis of two high-risk populations from Kampala, Uganda'. PLoS ONE, 16 (1). [DOI]
Castellanos, María Eugenia; Rodas, Soledad; Juárez, José Guillermo; Lol, Juan Carlos; Chanquin, Sayra; Morales, Zoraida; Vizcaino, Lucrecia; Smith, Stephen C.; Vanden Eng, Jodi; Woldu, Henok G.; Lenhart, Audrey; Padilla, Norma (2021) 'Evaluation of the durability of long‐lasting insecticidal nets in Guatemala'. Malaria Journal, 20 . [DOI]
Kakaire, Robert; Kiwanuka, Noah; Zalwango, Sarah; Sekandi, Juliet N.; Quach, Trang Ho Thu; Castellanos, Maru Eugenia; Quinn, Frederick; Whalen, Christopher C. (2021) 'Excess risk of tuberculosis infection among extra-household contacts of tuberculosis cases in an African city'. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 73 (9):e3438-e3445. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Castellanos, María Eugenia; Zalwango, Sarah; Kakaire, Robert; Ebell, Mark H.; Dobbin, Kevin K.; Sekandi, Juliet; Kiwanuka, Noah; Whalen, Christopher C. (2020) 'Defining adequate contact for transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in an African urban environment'. BMC Public Health, 20 . [DOI]
Dobaño, Carlota; Bardají, Azucena; Kochar, Swati; Kochar, Sanjay K.; Padilla, Norma; López, Marta; Unger, Holger W.; Ome-Kaius, Maria; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Arévalo-Herrera, Myriam; Hans, Dhiraj; Martínez-espinosa, Flor E.; Bôtto-Menezes, Camila; Malheiros, Adriana; Desai, Meghna; Casellas, Aina; Chitnis, Chetan E.; Rogerson, Stephen; Mueller, Ivo; Menéndez, Clara; Requena, Pilar (2020) 'Blood cytokine, chemokine and growth factor profiling in a cohort of pregnant women from tropical countries'. Cytokine, 125 :1-11. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Dobaño, Carlota; Bardají, Azucena; Arévalo-Herrera, Myriam; Martínez-Espinosa, Flor E.; Bôtto-Menezes, Camila; Padilla, Norma; Menegon, Michela; Kochar, Swati; Kochar, Sanjay Kumar; Unger, Holger; Ome-Kaius, Maria; Rosanas-Urgell, Anna; Malheiros, Adriana; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Hans, Dhiraj; Desai, Meghna; Casellas, Aina; Chitnis, Chetan E.; Severini, Carlo; Mueller, Ivo; Rogerson, Stephen; Menéndez, Clara; Requena, Pilar (2020) 'Cytokine signatures of plasmodium vivax infection during pregnancy and delivery outcomes'. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14 (5). [DOI]
Martinez, Leonardo; Woldu, Henok; Chen, Cheng; Hallowell, Benjamin D.; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Lu, Peng; Liu, Qiao; Whalen, Christopher C.; Zhu, Limei (2020) 'Transmission dynamics in tuberculosis patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 32 observational studies'. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 73 (9):e3446-e3455. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
McKay, Brian; Castellanos Reynosa, Maria; Ebell, Mark; Whalen, Christopher C.; Handel, Andreas (2019) 'An attempt to reproduce a previous meta-analysis and a new analysis regarding the impact of directly observed therapy on tuberculosis treatment outcomes'. PLoS ONE, 14 (5). [DOI]
Castellanos Reynosa, M.E.; Kirimunda, S.; Martinez, L.; Quach, T.; Woldu, H.; Kakaire, R.; Handel, A.; Zalwango, S.; Kiwanuka, N.; Whalen, C.C. (2018) 'Performance of the QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube assay in tuberculin skin test converters: a prospective cohort study'. The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 22 (9):1000-1006. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Welton, Michael; DeJoy, David; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Ebell, Mark; Shen, Ye; Robb, Sara (2018) 'Ethnic Disparities of Perceived Safety Climate Among Construction Workers in Georgia, 2015'. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 5 (3):522-529. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Glycemic control and the prevalence of tuberculosis infection: population-based observational study
2017
Martinez, Leonardo; Zhu, Limei; Castellanos Reynosa, Maria E.; Liu, Qiao; Chen, Cheng; Hallowell, Benjamin D.; Whalen, Christopher C. (2017) 'Glycemic control and the prevalence of tuberculosis infection: population-based observational study'. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 65 (12):2060-2068. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Requena, Pilar; Arévalo-Herrera, Myriam; Menegon, Michela; Martínez-espinosa, Flor E.; Padilla, Norma; Bôtto-Menezes, Camila; Malheiro, Adriana; Hans, Dhiraj; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Robinson, Leanne; Samol, Paula; Kochar, Swati; Kochar, Sanjay K.; Kochar, Dhanpat K.; Desai, Meghna; Sanz, Sergi; Quintó, Llorenç; Mayor, Alfredo; Rogerson, Stephen; Mueller, Ivo; Severini, Carlo; del Portillo, Hernando A.; Bardají, Azucena; Chitnis, Chetan C.; Menéndez, Clara; Dobaño, Carlota (2017) 'Naturally acquired binding-inhibitory antibodies to Plasmodium vivax duffy binding protein in pregnant women are associated with higher birth weight in a multicenter study'. Frontiers in Immunology, 8 . [DOI]
Burden and impact of Plasmodium vivax in pregnancy: a multi-centre prospective observational study
2017
Bardají, Azucena; Martínez-Espinosa, Flor Ernestina; Arévalo-Herrera, Myriam; Padilla, Norma; Kochar, Swati; Ome-Kaius, Maria; Bôtto-Menezes, Camila; Castellanos, María Eugenia; Kochar, Dhanpat Kumar; Kochar, Sanjay Kumar; Betuela, Inoni; Mueller, Ivo; Rogerson, Stephen; Chitnis, Chetan; Hans, Dhiraj; Menegon, Michela; Severini, Carlo; del Portillo, Hernando; Dobaño, Carlota; Mayor, Alfredo; Ordi, Jaume; Piqueras, Mireia; Sanz, Sergi; Wahlgren, Mats; Slutsker, Laurence; Desai, Meghna; Menéndez, Clara (2017) 'Burden and impact of Plasmodium vivax in pregnancy: a multi-centre prospective observational study'. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 11 (6). [DOI]
Martinez, Leonardo; Sekandi, Juliet N.; Castellanos, Maria E.; Zalwango, Sarah; Whalen, Christopher C. (2016) 'Infectiousness of HIV-seropositive patients with tuberculosis in a high-burden African setting'. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 194 (9):1152-1163. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Menegon, Michela; Bardají, Azucena; Martínez-Espinosa, Flor; Bôtto-Menezes, Camila; Ome-Kaius, Maria; Mueller, Ivo; Betuela, Inoni; Arévalo-Herrera, Myriam; Kochar, Swati; Kochar, Sanjay K.; Jaju, Puneet; Hans, Dhiraj; Chitnis, Chetan; Padilla, Norma; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Ortiz, Lucía; Sanz, Sergi; Piqueras, Mireia; Desai, Meghna; Mayor, Alfredo; Del Portillo, Hernando; Menéndez, Clara; Severini, Carlo (2016) 'Microsatellite genotyping of Plasmodium vivax isolates from pregnant women in four malaria endemic countries'. PLoS ONE, 11 (3). [DOI]
Requena, Pilar; Rui, Edmilson; Padilla, Norma; Martínez-Espinosa, Flor E.; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Bôtto-Menezes, Camila; Malheiro, Adriana; Arévalo-Herrera, Myriam; Kochar, Swati; Kochar, Sanjay K.; Kochar, Dhanpat K.; Umbers, Alexandra J.; Ome-Kaius, Maria; Wangnapi, Regina; Hans, Dhiraj; Menegon, Michela; Mateo, Francesca; Sanz, Sergi; Desai, Meghna; Mayor, Alfredo; Chitnis, Chetan C.; Bardají, Azucena; Mueller, Ivo; Rogerson, Stephen; Severini, Carlo; Fernández-Becerra, Carmen; Menéndez, Clara; del Portillo, Hernando; Dobaño, Carlota (2016) 'Plasmodium vivax VIR Proteins Are Targets of Naturally-Acquired Antibody and T Cell Immune Responses to Malaria in Pregnant Women'. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 10 (10):1-20. [DOI]
Shah, Shikha; Monteiro, Sarojini Maria Dos Remedios; Borana, Ronak; Yarran, Tyra; Topp, Stephanie M.; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia (2026) 'Scoping review protocol of E-Health interventions targeting Indigenous populations' BMJ Open, 16 . [DOI]
Adegboye, Oyelola A.; Alele, Faith O.; Castellanos, Maru E.; Pak, Anton; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2023) 'Editorial: Environmental stressors, multi-hazards and their impact on health' Frontiers in Public Health, 11 . [DOI]
Adegboye, Oyelola A.; Alele, Faith O.; Pak, Anton; Castellanos, Maria E.; Abdullahi, Mohammed; Okeke, Malachy I.; Emeto, Theophilus I.; McBryde, Emma S. (2023) 'A resurgence and re-emergence of diphtheria in Nigeria, 2023' Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease, 10 . [DOI]
Adegboye, Oyelola A.; Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Alele, Faith O.; Pak, Anton; Ezechukwu, Henry C.; Hou, Kay; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2022) 'Travel-Related Monkeypox Outbreaks in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic: Are We Prepared?' Viruses, 14 (6) . [DOI]
Castellanos, M.E.; Martinez, L.; Whalen, C.C. (2019) 'In reply to 'Interferon-gamma release assays have suboptimal sensitivity in both latent and active tuberculosis'' International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 23 (6) :767-767. [DOI]
Journal Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU
Martinez, Leonardo; Castellanos, María Eugenia; Hallowell, Benjamin D.; Whalen, Christopher C. (2017) 'Innovative Methods to Manage, Detect, and Prevent Tuberculosis' American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 195 (4) :530-532. [DOI]
Journal Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU
Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Díaz, Sheilee; Parsons, Emily; Peruski, Leonard F.; Enríquez, Fabiola; Ramírez, Juan Luis; Padilla, Norma (2015) 'First imported Plasmodium ovale malaria in Central America: case report of a Guatemalan soldier and a call to improve its accurate diagnosis' Military Medical Research, 2 . [DOI]
Castellanos, Maria Eugenia; Bardají, Azucena; Menegon, Michela; Mayor, Alfredo; Desai, Meghna; Severini, Carlo; Menéndez, Clara; Padilla, Norma (2012) 'Plasmodium vivax congenital malaria in an area of very low endemicity in Guatemala: implications for clinical and epidemiological surveillance in a malaria elimination context' Malaria Journal, 11 . [DOI]