معرفی
Maria Balda is Professor of Cell Biology at the University College London (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmology. Her research focuses on tight junctions, cell-cell adhesion, and their roles in retinal diseases and tumorigenesis. She has held academic positions at UCL since 2001, including Lecturer, Reader, and full Professor. Balda’s work bridges molecular mechanisms of junctional complexes with therapeutic applications in proliferative eye diseases.
- Education:
- BSc in Biomedical Science (Honours), Universidad de Buenos Aires (1982)
- PhD in Physiology, Centre for Research and Advanced Studies, Mexico (1990)
- Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, UCL (2004)
Her research explores how tight junctions regulate paracellular permeability, cell proliferation, and gene expression through signaling pathways like GEF-H1-RhoA, MRCKβ, and Hippo-YAP networks. She investigates interactions between tight junctions and extracellular matrix/cell-matrix signaling in epithelial morphogenesis.
Key publications include mechanistic studies on ZO-1’s dual role in Hippo-independent YAP activation and mechanosensitive pathways, therapeutic validation of GEF-H1 inhibitors in retinal disease models, and discoveries about MarvelD3’s role in pancreatic development. Her work has been cited over 17,000 times (h-index: 61).
- Scientific Awards:
- Prize for young scientists (under 26)
- Fellowship from Argentinean and Mexican Council
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology
Balda has contributed to teaching programs at UCL (MSc in Microvascular Biology, Ocular Cell Biology) and delivered specialized courses internationally, including a two-day course on cell-cell adhesion at the University of Sevilla, Spain. She previously served on the British Society for Cell Biology committee and acts as associate editor for multiple journals.
