Juan E. Ludert worked as WSV Vice President – Latin America(2023-2024). He is a professor in the Department of Infectomics and Molecular Pathogenesis, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of IPN (CINVESTAV), in Mexico City. Our main research interests are focused on the study the interactions between dengue virus and insect and vertebrate cells, to identify host susceptibility and resistance factors and new dengue virus protein functions, with particular emphasis in the non-structural protein 1 (NS1). In addition, we are interested in understanding the pathogenesis of plasma leakage which is a hallmark of severe dengue and the role of the placenta in the pathobiology of Zika virus infection. Our results indicate, for example, that differences exist in the replicative cycles of dengue virus between vertebrate and mosquito cells, and in the placenta cells susceptibility to dengue versus Zika virus infection. I did my Master and doctoral degrees in the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC) and a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University; all working with rotaviruses. After returning to Venezuela, I joined the Center for Microbiology and Cell Biology, where I continued studying the biology of rotavirus, the characterization of novel enteric viruses (picobirnavirus) as well as the epidemiology of other enteric viruses such as astroviruses, and caliciviruses. In Mexico, I moved to the study of flaviviruses, which are my current interest, using different experimental approached which include cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and immunology. As part of my research activities, I mentor several master and doctoral degree thesis work. Currently, I am part of the editorial board of several virology or microbiology journals and member of several scientific academies and virology societies, including the World Virology Society.