Mariana Bernui

Mariana Bernui, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Microbiology & Immunology at Drexel University College of Medicine. She serves as the clinical research manager for the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, oversees the Clinical Research Unit, and teaches in Molecular Medicine, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases master’s programs. She directs online and in-person courses on bacteria and bacterial infections. She holds a BS in Biology from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (2004), an MS in Clinical Research (2018), and a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology (2009), all from Drexel University.

Her research focuses on immunology, clinical trials, and infectious diseases. She leads NIH-funded studies like IMPACC (analyzing T/B cell responses in SARS-CoV-2) and the five-year COVID-19 Serology Study tracking vaccine immune responses. She co-leads the CLOVER Trial (Clostridium difficile vaccine) and the HOPE study (HIV+ organ transplants). Key interests include vaccine development, bacterial infections, and age-related immune responses.

• Recipient of awards including the International e-Learning Award (2016) and Outstanding Young Peruvian Living Abroad (2010).
• Oversees multi-disciplinary teams to expand clinical trials in the Department of Medicine.
• Presented work on Clostridium difficile immunity, HIV vaccine adjuvants, and neuroinflammation at conferences like the American Association of Immunologists Annual Meeting.

Manages grants and collaborations to advance clinical research and translational medicine. Fluent in French, Portuguese, and Spanish.