Maria Duque-Correa

Dr. Maria Duque-Correa is a Principal Investigator at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on understanding how parasitic worms, such as whipworms, invade, colonize, and persist in the gut. She leads a team developing novel organoid models to study host-parasite interactions, particularly how whipworms manipulate gut structure and immune responses. Dr. Duque-Correa holds a BSc in Biology from the University of Antioquia (Colombia), a PhD from the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology (Germany), and completed postdoctoral training at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Her work is funded by Wellcome, Isaac Newton Trust, and Rosetrees Trust.

Key research areas include tuberculosis, Chagas disease, and trichuriasis. Her lab uses advanced microscopy, sequencing, and organoid models to characterize molecular and cellular changes during whipworm infections and gut repair during chronic infections. Group members include PhD students Wenxin Jiang and Klara Stark, along with research assistants and lab managers.

Dr. Duque-Correa has received prestigious fellowships, including the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship and Wellcome Sir Henry Dale Fellowship. Her research aims to identify new strategies to combat neglected tropical diseases and understand gut inflammatory processes. The group collaborates widely, integrating immunology, parasitology, and regenerative biology to address global health challenges.