drkozeckWIESLAW J. KOZEK, Ph.D.

Educational Background:

  • B.S., 1961 (Biology) – Canisius College, Buffalo, N.Y.
  • M.S., 1967 (Medical Parasitology) – Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.
  • Ph.D., 1969 (Medical Parasitology) – Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Chicago, 1969-1971.
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Florida, Gainesville.1971-1972.

Academic Position: Professor

Academic Address, Telephone & E-Mail:

Dept. of Microbiology and Zoology,
University of Puerto Rico-School of Medicine,
P.O. Box 365067, San Juan, P.R. 00936-5067.
Phone: (787)758-2525 ext.1351
Direct: (787)759-8257
E-mail: wieslaw.kozek@upr.edu

Field of Interest:

My research interests in the Medical Helminthology include:

Wolbachia bacterial endosymbiots of filariae – elucidation of the life cycle and the Wolbachia-filaria interactions during development and survival of filariae.

Ultrastructrure of nematodes – application of scanning and transmission electron microscopy to elucidate the ultramorphology of selected, medically important parasitic nematodes.

Epidemiology and distribution of of helminthic zoonoses in Puerto Rico. Studies on identification and prevalence of enzootic nematodes which have a potential to infect humans.

Selected Publications:

  • Attout, T., C. Martin, S. A. Babayan, W. J. Kozek, C. Bazzochi, F. Oudet, A. J. Gallagher, S. Specht, and O. Bain. 2008. Pleural cellular reactions to the filarial infection by Litomosoides sigmodontis is determined by the moulting process, the worm alteration and the host strain. Parasit. International. 57:201-211.
  • Ferrer-Rodriguez, I. and W. J. Kozek. 2007. Abnormal Trichuris trichiura eggs detected during an epidemiological survey. Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal 26: 237-239.
  • Kozek, W. J. and R. Rao. 2007. The Discovery of Wolbachia in Arthropods and Nematodes – A Historical Perspective. Book chapter in: Wolbachia – A Bug’s Life in Another Bug, Hoerauf and Roa, (eds.), Karger, Switzerland, pp. 1-14.
  • Kozek, W. J. 2005. Are bacillary bands responsible for expulsion of Trichinella spiralis? Vet. Parasit. 132:69-73.
    Kozek, W.J. 2005. What is new in the Wolbachia/Dirofilaria interaction? Vet. Parasit. 133:127-132.
  • Attout, T., S. Babayan, A. Hoerauf, D. W. Taylor, W. J. Kozek, C, Martin and O. Bain. 2005. Blood-feeding in the young adult filarial worms Litomosoides sigmodontis. Parasitology 130: 421-428.
  • Bain, O., Attout, T., Babayan, S., Kozek, W., and C. Martin. 2004. Biology of Filariae in the vertebrate host: Litomosoides sigmodontis casts light on several “Gray Areas.” Proceedings of the IX European Multicolloqium of Parasitology, Valencia, Spain, July 20-23, Pp. 205-209
  • Takaoka H., Bain O., Uni S., Korenaga M., Kozek W. J., Shirasaka C., Aoki C., Otsuka Y., Fukuda M., Eshita Y., Daa T. 2004. Zoonotic onchocerciasis caused by a parasite from wild boar in Oita, Japan: a comprehensive analysis of morphological characteristics of the worms for its diagnosis. Parasite 11:285-
    292.
  • Kozek, W.J., J. Cruz and L. A. Amigo. 2003. Some aspects of the ultrastructure, phylogeny, and immunological and histological characteristics of Dirofilaria immitis Wolbachia. Proceedings of the 2002 Heartworm Symposium. 215-224.
  • Kozek, W. J., S. Garlapati, C.C. Wang, A. Habteab, G. Denbeaux, A. Pearsons and C. A. Larabell. 2002. Soft X-ray microscopy of parasitic protozoa. Abstract Compendium, Advanced Light Source, E. O. L. Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA.
  • Kozek, W.J., J. Brown, W. Meyer-Ilse, C. Larabell and M. Moronne. 1998. Applications of soft X-ray and other microscopy techniques to elucidate the structure of parasitic metazoa. Microscopy and Analysis 4 (Supplement 2): 1156-1157
  • Kozek, W. J., A. E. Vazquez, C. Gonzalez, Jr., J. Iguina, E. Sanchez, F. de Jesus, C. J. Cardona, Jr., C. Gomez, R. Seneriz, and J. Diaz-Umpierre. 1996. Prevalence of canine filariae in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Proceedings of the Heartworm Symposium. 1995, 55-63.