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Ricardo Castillo, PhD DVM MSPH

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Assistant Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
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Scholar, Center for Global Health at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
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Senior Scholar, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
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Department: Biostatistics and Epidemiology
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1f Graduate Group Affiliations 8 a
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Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics
19 423 Guardian Dr.
38 Blockley Hall, Rm.715
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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2c Office: 2157467333
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Email: cricardo@upenn.edu
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18 Publications
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Links
ed Search PubMed for articles
 7d Public Health Certificate Program
b0 Center for Global Health at University of Pennsylvania
a3 Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics
a3 Departement of Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Informatics
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13 Education:
21 8 BSc 20 (Veterinary Medicine) c
41 Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, 2006.
 21 8 DVM 20 (Veterinary Medicine) c
41 Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, 2007.
 21 9 MSPH 21 (International Health) c
48 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2014.
 21 8 PhD 19 (Epidemiology) c
48 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2014.
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Description of Research Expertise

fd I study the eco-epidemiology of tropical diseases. My current research uses canine rabies as a model system to understand how the social and spatial features of urban areas influence the emergence and persistence of infectious diseases.
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145 My most recent line of research focuses on urban vaccine-preventable outbreaks. I conduct cluster randomized trials to test optimized mass vaccination strategies. My methodological interests include spatial analysis, optimization of interventions to control infectious disease, and design of community-based studies.
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1fe I am a scholar of infectious disease epidemiology with a strong background in quantitative methods, zoonotic disease ecology, and the study of complex systems. I am committed to teaching and research in public health, infectious disease, and epidemiological methods. I am well-versed in designing and conducting observational and experimental community-based studies, as well as laboratory-based research. I have strong data management and analysis skills; and experience with a variety of data sources.
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Selected Publications

14f Castillo-Neyra R, *Ortiz-Cam L, *Diaz EW, **Cañari-Casaño JL, Recuenco SE, Paz-Soldan VA.: The return of human rabies: A foretold case in Latin America Through the Lens of One Health. MedRxiv. Jan 2026 Notes: *Student/predoctoral mentee; **Postdoctoral mentee.

 187 *De la Puente-León M, *Díaz EW, Bellotti BR, Porras G, Borrini-Mayorí K, Chuquista-Alcarraz O, Paz-Soldán VA, Levy MZ, Castillo-Neyra R.: Changes in feral dog populations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Arequipa, Peru. Front Vet Sci. 12(1666645), Jan 2026 Notes: *Student/predoctoral mentee; **Postdoctoral mentee.

 183 Recuenco Cabrera SE, Palacios CA, Castillo-Neyra R.: Neglected zoonoses and the One Health approach: linking academia and implementation at the Rabies in the Americas Conference RITA 2025. An Fac Med. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Facultad de Medicina San Fernando Lima, Perú 86(4): 411-413, Dec 2025.

 191 Castillo-Neyra R, *Díaz EW, Raynor Bellotti R, *Morucci K, *De la Puente-León M, *Ortiz-Cam L, Levy MZ.: Cave dogs around major urban areas of Arequipa, Peru, threaten rabies elimination program. Front Vet Sci. 12, Nov 2025 Notes: *Student/predoctoral mentee; **Postdoctoral mentee; https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1649737.

 1a8 *Morucci K, *Ortiz-Cam L, *Díaz EW, *Guillermo Porras-Cotrina, Bustos J, Verastegui M, Gavidia CM, Castillo-Neyra R.: GPS tracking of free-roaming dogs and human spillover risk of Echinococcus granulosus in highly endemic Peru. Front Vet Sci. 12, Nov 2025 Notes: *Student/predoctoral mentee; **Postdoctoral mentee; doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1647590.

 1b0 **Xie S, Shinnick J, *Diaz EW, Zegarra E, Monroy Y, Recuenco SE, Castillo-Neyra R.: Socioeconomic disparities and dog rabies: a retrospective analysis of high-spatial-resolution surveillance data from a Latin American city. Lancet Reg Health Am. Page: 101285, Oct 2025 Notes: *Student/predoctoral mentee; **Postdoctoral mentee; doi:10.1016/j.lana.2025.101285.

 198 Castillo-Neyra R, Gutierrez Zárate W, *Requena-Herrera MP, *Ortiz-Cam L, *Porras G, Manturano Lopez JM, Macedo Milla JF, **Cañari-Casaño JL, Bustos JA.: Hidden burden of surgical cystic echinococcosis in Arequipa, Peru: An unrecognized population at risk. MedRxiv. Aug 2025 Notes: *Student/predoctoral mentee; **Postdoctoral mentee.

 132 *Porras G, *Diaz EW, *De la Puente M, Gavidia CM, Castillo-Neyra R.: Estimation of free-roaming dog populations using Google Street View: A Methodological Study. PLoS One. 20(7): e0305154, Aug 2025 Notes: *Student/predoctoral mentee.

 1c7 De la Cruz-Saldana T, Bustos JA, *Requena-Herrera MP, Martinez-Merizalde N, *Ortiz-Cam L, Cáceres AL, Guzman C, Gavidia CM, Ugarte-Gil C, Castillo-Neyra R.: A scoping review on control strategies for Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. IJID One Health. 8: 100078, Jul 2025 Notes: https://onehealth.ijidonline.org/article/S2949-9151(25)00026-5/fulltext; *Student/predoctoral mentee.

 183 Castillo-Neyra R, *Ortiz-Cam L, **Cañari-Casaño JL, *Diaz EW, Tamayo LD, *Porras G, Recuenco SE, Paz-Soldan VA.: An implementation science framework to understand low coverage in mass dog rabies vaccination. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 19(7): e0012869, Jul 2025 Notes: *Student/predoctoral mentee; **Postdoctoral mentee.

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