Maryam Keshavarz

Dr. Maryam Keshavarz is a Research Fellow in the Rolff Group at the Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin. Her research focuses on evolutionary and mechanistic aspects of insect immunity, particularly in Tenebrio molitor (mealworm) and Aedes albopictus (mosquito) systems. She investigates antimicrobial peptide regulation, autophagy pathways, and immune signaling mechanisms in response to bacterial and fungal infections.

Her work integrates molecular biology, genetic knockdown experiments, and bioinformatics to uncover conserved and species-specific immune responses. Recent studies include phylogeographic investigations of damselfly populations and virulence decomposition in bifurcating infections (2024).

• Research Themes: Insect innate immunity, antimicrobial defense mechanisms, autophagy, pathogen recognition receptors (PGRPs), and Spatzle/Toll signaling pathways.
• Techniques: RNA interference (RNAi), gene expression analysis, bioinformatics, and in vivo infection models.

Dr. Keshavarz collaborates with the INSECT-INFECT initiative and has contributed to understanding how biosurfactants modulate immune responses in insects. Her findings advance applications in pest management and antimicrobial drug discovery.