Marina Diioia, Ph.D., FNAOMEVice Chair and Associate Professor of Microbiology & ImmunologyBiomedical Sciences Office: A315 Main BuildingLab: J105Phone: (304) 647-6370Fax: (304) 793-6884
Postdoctoral Research AssociateUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, WIField: Zoonotic Disease Vaccine Design and Development
Postdoctoral FellowVatrix Medical, Minneapolis, MNField: Medical Device and SBIR Grant Development
Doctor of PhilosophyUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WIField: Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Vaccine Design and Delivery Emphasis
Bachelor of ScienceCalifornia State University San Marcos, San Marcos, CAField: Biology
I am interested in the host immune response to intracellular bacteria. Most recently I have investigated why a typically harmless commensal microbe (Enteroccus) can turn pathogenic in hospitalized patients and the role of the immune response in these events. I am also very interested in the generation of CD8+ T cell responses by vaccination and using bioinformatics to predict pathogenic epitopes in vaccine design.
Opportunities for Students to Work with You - Yes
1. Lim V, Topiwala G, Apinova E, Diioia M. 2024. Systematic review of case reports on COVID-19 associated myocarditis: A discussion on treatments. Virol J 21, 252 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-024-02499-4.
2. Boudreaux C, Szalai G, Griffith B, Diioia M, Robinson C, Hamric H, Lovett G, and Kelso A. 2022. Practical and ethical aspects of immunization. TBL Collaborative. teambasedlearning.org/tblc-resource-portal/
3. Beale J and Durward-Diioia M. 2022. Clinical considerations in the approach to vancomycin-resistant Enterococci: A Narrative Review. Int J Med Students. DOI: 10.5195/ijms.2022.1010.
4. Daggett J, Rogers A, Harms J, Splitter GA, and Durward-Diioia M. 2020. Hepatic and splenic immune response during acute vs. chronic Brucella melitensis infection using in situ microscopy. Comp Immunol Infect Dis. 2020 Oct 2;73:101490. DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2020.101490.
5. Durward-Diioia M, J. Harms, M. Khan, J. A. Smith, G. A. Splitter. 2015. CD8+ T cell exhaustion, suppressed IFN-gamma production, and delayed memory response induced by chronic Brucella melitensis infection. Infect Immun 83(12):4759-71.