Mariagrazia Pizza

Mariagrazia Pizza is a Professor of Microbiology and Co-director of the Centre of Bacterial Resistance Biology (CBRB) at Imperial College London's Faculty of Natural Sciences. She previously held roles as Senior Scientific Director of Bacterial Vaccines at GSK and Head of Research at GVGH. Her expertise spans over 30 years in vaccine development, with a focus on bacterial pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis and Klebsiella pneumoniae. She pioneered the MenB vaccine (4CMenB), which has been licensed in over 50 countries and protects infants against meningococcal B disease. Her current research targets Klebsiella pneumoniae, a multidrug-resistant pathogen, aiming to identify novel vaccine candidates and virulence factors.

• Education and Career: Extensive experience in academia and industry, including leadership roles in global vaccine initiatives.
• Research Interests: Vaccine development, bacterial pathogenesis, antimicrobial resistance, and reverse vaccinology approaches. Key projects include MenB vaccine efficacy, cross-protection mechanisms, and Klebsiella virulence factors.

She has received prestigious awards including the MahnHoon Award 2023 and is an elected member of EMBO, the European Academy of Microbiology, and Academia Europaea. With over 250 publications and 70 patents, she contributes to global health initiatives through WHO advisory roles and the IUMS Bacteriology Division.

• Labs and Collaborations: Leads the CBRB, collaborating globally on vaccine research and antimicrobial resistance solutions.