Vanessa Van Der Linden Mota MD

Dr. van der Linden, a pediatric neurologist practicing in Recife, Brazil, was one of the first physicians to make the connection between Zika virus infections and birth defects. Recife was one of the areas hardest hit by the Zika epidemic. Dr. van der Linden was recognized as an exceptional leader who accelerated a global, cooperative response to the Zika virus epidemic. She continues to practice in Recife and will talk on the long-term complications of congenital Zika infections.

Dr. van der Linden got her MD at the Federal University of Pernambuco, UFPE, Brazil and her medical training in pediatrics at Prof Fernando Figueira Integral Medicine Institute, IMIP, Brazil. She did her medical training in pediatric neurology and got her Master’s degree at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. She was a pediatric neurologist at the public hospital in the State of Pernambuco until 1993, and is currently practicing and teaching at the Barão de Lucena Hospital. Her research focuses on the neurological follow-up of children with Congenital Zika syndrome.