Dr Teresa de los Santos is a senior scientist at the Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in Orient, NY. She holds a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, an MA in Microbiology from Columbia University, NY. and a PhD in Biological Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Stony Brook University, NY, USA. Since 2003, Dr de los Santos has been working at the Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU), Plum Island Animal Disease Center, of the Agricultural Research Service at the US Department of Agriculture. Her research is mainly focused on the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the virus blockade of host innate immunity and the development of vaccines and biotherapeutics for exotic diseases of livestock, such as foot-and-mouth disease, and others. Dr de los Santos has authored over 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has written several book chapters, filed patents, and presented seminars in American and International universities/organizations. She is a member of: the American Society of Microbiology; the American Society of Virology; the American Association for the Advancement of Science; the executive committee of the Global Foot and Mouth Research Alliance (GFRA).