Mariagrazia Pizza

Mariagrazia Pizza holds an Honorary Visiting Professor title at the University of Leicester while maintaining her primary role as Senior Scientific Director, Bacterial Vaccines at GSK Vaccines in Siena, Italy. She has held leadership positions in vaccine research at GSK, Novartis Vaccines, and Chiron Vaccines since 1993, focusing on bacterial pathogens including meningococcus B, pertussis, and E. coli. Her work pioneered reverse vaccinology, leading to the development of the MenB vaccine Bexsero.

Education: Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Naples, followed by an EMBO fellowship at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg.

Research interests center on molecular biology, bacterial pathogenesis, and genetic engineering applications in vaccine development. Over 200 publications and 150 patents reflect her contributions to vaccinology and toxin detoxification. Key achievements include co-developing the first licensed MenB vaccine and genetically modified pertussis vaccines.

Awards include the Galeno Award, EMBO membership, and American Academy of Microbiology fellowship. Her work bridges industrial and academic research, emphasizing translational medicine and public health impact.