Joni M. Prasad

Dr. Joni M. Prasad serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, while simultaneously holding key administrative roles as Assistant Dean for Research Affairs and Deputy Chief Conflict of Interest Officer, where she drives research enterprise development and ensures ethical compliance across faculty initiatives.

Her academic foundation includes:

• BS in Biochemistry from The Ohio State University (2005)
• PhD in Immunobiology from the University of Cincinnati (2012)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Vascular and Inflammatory Disease at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Her research critically examines the hemostasis-inflammation interface, particularly fibrinogen's role in Staphylococcus aureus defense mechanisms and LRP1 receptor biochemistry. This work bridges protein structural analysis with in vivo pathogenesis models, yielding commercially licensed therapeutics targeting vascular and infectious diseases through innovative receptor antagonist engineering.

Publication analysis reveals a cohesive trajectory from foundational protein biochemistry (2013-2016) toward integrated host-pathogen studies (2015-2021), with parallel contributions to research policy through NIH grant dynamics analysis. Her work consistently connects molecular mechanisms to therapeutic applications across immunology, vascular biology, and infectious disease domains.

In her administrative capacity as Assistant Dean, Dr. Prasad spearheads research infrastructure development and conflict of interest management, leveraging her dual expertise in laboratory science and research policy to optimize faculty grant success and ethical compliance. Her 2020 publication on NIH funding patterns directly informs these operational frameworks.

Her research legacy originates from the Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Disease where her postdoctoral work on LRP1-RAP interactions established the foundation for current investigations. Current efforts likely extend this work through interdisciplinary collaborations addressing coagulation-infection crosstalk in translational models.