Miriam K. Laufer

Miriam K. Laufer, MD is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, with secondary appointments in Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health, and Faculty of the graduate program in Microbiology and Immunology. She directs the Malaria Research Program at the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, serves as Director of the Office of Student Research for the School of Medicine, and is Associate Director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Laufer received her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completed her pediatric residency at Babies and Children's Hospital of New York (now New York Children's Hospital) of Columbia University. She completed fellowships in pediatric infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University and in malaria research at the Center for Vaccine Development at the University of Maryland. She earned her MPH from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.

As a pediatric infectious disease specialist, Dr. Laufer has dedicated nearly two decades to malaria research in Malawi. Her primary research focuses on the impact of infections including malaria and HIV during pregnancy on infant immunity and early childhood development, the interaction between HIV and malaria, and identifying reservoirs of malaria transmission. Her laboratory applies molecular epidemiology tools to address critical issues related to malaria pathogenesis, disease burden, and drug resistance. She uses clinical and laboratory research to develop and evaluate interventions to decrease the malaria burden in sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Laufer's recent publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on malaria prevention strategies, particularly for vulnerable populations. Her work explores school-based interventions, comparative effectiveness of antimalarial drugs during pregnancy, molecular mechanisms of malaria transmission, and HIV-malaria co-infections. Her research has significantly contributed to understanding the role of school-age children as malaria reservoirs and has informed malaria prevention policies across sub-Saharan Africa.

• Joseph Augustine LePrince Award (American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene)
• J. Tyson Tildon Award for Pediatric Research
• Alpha Omega Alpha
• Teaching Commendation (Host Defenses and Infectious Diseases)
• Global Health Faculty Award (Center for Global Health Initiatives)
• American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene LePrince Medal

As Principal Investigator for clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and a Fogarty training grant, Dr. Laufer leads collaborative research across the US, Europe, and Africa. She is deeply committed to training the next generation of scientists through the Malaria Research Program, which focuses on building research capacity in both the US and malaria-endemic countries. She also serves as Director of the Office of Student Research, promoting hands-on research training for all medical students.

Dr. Laufer directs the Malaria Research Program at the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, which develops innovative scientific tools to eliminate malaria. She serves on the World Health Organization's Malaria Vaccine Advisory Committee and Global Malaria Programme Guidelines Development Committee, and is active in the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.