Maria Masucci

Maria Masucci is a Senior Professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institutet. She leads the Molecular Mechanisms of Viral Oncogenesis research group, focusing on understanding how tumor viruses, particularly Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), manipulate host cellular pathways to drive oncogenesis. Her work emphasizes viral interference with the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy mechanisms.

Education: Docent in 1988 from Karolinska Institutet. Research spans over three decades, with a focus on viral oncogenesis, cellular signaling, and genomic instability. Key areas include EBV's role in lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and the interplay between viruses and host cell stress responses.

Research Interests:

• Epstein-Barr virus pathogenesis and oncogenesis
• Ubiquitin-proteasome system and viral deconjugases
• Autophagy regulation and stress responses
• Genomic instability in viral infections

Awards and Grants: Recipient of the 2021 Silver Medal. Secured grants from the Swedish Cancer Society and other institutions for viral oncogenesis research. Collaborates internationally, including with the Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine in Hong Kong.

Labs/Teams: Head of the Molecular Mechanisms of Viral Oncogenesis group, which investigates viral strategies to reprogram host cells. Active in mentoring postdoctoral researchers like Jiangnan Liu and doctoral students like Bin Zhao.