Dr. Blas Armien, Head of the Research Department of Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases (DIEEZ) of the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies (ICGES) graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Panama (1987) with a Master's Degree in Public Health with an emphasis in Epidemiology of Large Endemics from the National School of Public Health of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro (1997). He was the General Director of ICGES (2001-2004) and is currently a member of the National Research System of the National Secretariat of Science and Technology of Panama. For the last 20 years, he has dedicated himself to research in the field of emerging zoonotic viral and vector-borne diseases with a One Health approach, generating at least 40 scientific publications. He has supported the Ministry of Health of Panama in the management of outbreaks (e.g., Hantavirus, Dengue, Leptospirosis, Chikungunya, Zika, and Encephalitis) and in strengthening comprehensive Yellow Fever surveillance in Darién (surveillance of non-human primates, forest vectors, laboratory and syndromic surveillance). He was entrusted with the creation of DIEEZ (2011). He managed the signing of an agreement between the authorities of the Ministry of Agriculture of Panama and ICGES for the construction and equipment of the Research Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases in Santiago Este, in Central–West Panama (2017–2023), which supported the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic.