Marcela F. Pasetti

Marcela F. Pasetti, PhD, is a Professor in Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine with a secondary appointment in Microbiology and Immunology. She serves as Chief of the Applied Immunology Section at the Center for Vaccine Development (CVD), leading a robust research program focused on pediatric vaccine development and immunology.

Dr. Pasetti's educational background includes:

• Orientation in Microbiology and Immunology, University of Buenos Aires (1990)
• PhD in Immunology, University of Buenos Aires (1994)
• Diplome d’Immunologie Générale, Institute Pasteur (1994-1995)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland School of Medicine CVD (1996-2001)

Her research centers on pediatric vaccines, neonatal/infant immunology, and maternal immunization. She develops novel strategies against pathogens affecting young children, including live attenuated Salmonella and Shigella vaccines, protein subunits, and polysaccharide conjugates. A key project involves a broadly protective vaccine targeting Salmonella, Shigella, and Yersinia using conserved Type III secretion proteins, evaluated in maternal-infant models.

Analysis of her 14 publications (2006-2016) reveals consistent focus on mucosal immunity, maternal-infant vaccine interactions, and enteric pathogen vaccines. Her work bridges preclinical models and human clinical trials, emphasizing correlates of protection, serological assays for efficacy prediction, and maternal antibody impacts on infant responses. Key pathogens include Shigella, Salmonella, influenza, and measles.

No specific scientific awards are mentioned in the source text.

Dr. Pasetti has secured extensive funding as PI or Co-PI on 12 major grants since 2006, including NIH R01/R21 awards, Gates Foundation projects, and industry collaborations. Current work focuses on maternal immunity against shigellosis, serological assays for Shigella vaccines, and pertussis protection mechanisms. Her CVD lab provides critical immunological support for global vaccine trials.

She directs the CVD's Applied Immunology Lab, which employs advanced techniques including human immune enteroid models, flow cytometry (GUAVA-mini), multi-array cytokine assays, and specialized equipment for mucosal immunity studies. Her team collaborates on enteric pathogen research using animal models and clinical specimens.