Marco Antônio Campos is the Viral Disease Immunology (IDV) laboratory leader at the René Rachou Institute, Fiocruz, Brazil. He graduated in Pharmacy-Biochemistry (1977) and completed his master's (1994) and Ph.D. (1998) at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Virology) (Brazil). Post-doctorate at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (2000-2001) and René Rachou Research Institute/Fiocruz (Brazil) (2001-2002) area immunology. Since 2002, he has been a researcher at IRR/Fiocruz (Brazil); since 2010, he has been the leader of laboratory IDV. Deputy Section Editor of Virology Journal (1743-422X) (2017-). He is interested in studying the innate immune response of hosts infected by viruses and has worked with the innate immune response of hosts infected by protozoan parasites and bacteria. Featured publications: the discovery that Toll-like receptors are responsible for initiating the innate immune response against protozoan parasites (The Journal of Immunology 167:416-423, 2001). Contribution to the study of the innate immune response against HSV (The American Journal of Pathology 166:1419-1426, 2005; American Journal of Pathology, 177: 2433-2445, 2010; Journal of Neuroinflammation 11:20, 2014; Virology Journal 14:1-15, 2017; Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark 29:102, 2024). Contribution to understanding the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms in innate immune genes of the host to defense against SARS-CoV-2 (Virology Journal 18:180, 2021; eJHaem, 3: 199-202, 2021).