Maria Cristina Ferro

Maria Cristina Ferro de Carrasquilla (1947–2015) was a Colombian microbiologist and Leishmaniasis researcher who worked for more than forty years at the National Health Institute of Colombia. Most of her research was focused on sandflies (Phlebotominae subfamily), which are Leishmaniasis vectors, contributing with the description of three new species: ''Lutzomyia torvida,'' ''Lutzomyia falcata,'' ''and Lutzomyia tolimensis''. Given her research contributions, a sandfly species was named after her: ''Lutzomyia ferroae'' (Young & Morales 1987). Ferro also worked with Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus and received the ''Emeritus Researcher'' award from the National Health Institute of Colombia in 2007. Provided by Wikipedia