Maria is an ARC Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance (CEA-StAR) post-doctoral fellow and researcher in Associate Professor Danny Wilson's research laboratory on malaria and toxoplasma biology, at the University of Adelaide (School of Biological Sciences). Working closely with industry partner Neoculi Pty Ltd, she leads the drug development studies for treatment of parasitic diseases relevant to human and livestock health. Maria’s research is focused on developing therapeutics with novel mechanisms of action against Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii parasites. Malaria, caused by mosquito-transmitted Plasmodium spp. parasites, results in over 200 million cases and over 600,000 deaths each year, with children under the age of five years most at risk. The related food and water-borne zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii, estimated to chronically infect more than a third of the world’s population, poses serious health risks during pregnancy and to immunocompromised individuals. It also has a large economic impact on the livestock industry, costing Australia millions of dollars each year. Parasite resistance to anti-malarial drugs is spreading and the limited efficacy of toxoplasma drugs highlight the urgent need to develop new safe and effective drugs.Maria graduated from The University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science) degree, majoring in Biochemistry and Microbiology/Immunology, and an Honours degree in Health Sciences (First Class Honours), followed by a PhD in Medicine, within the Stroke Research Programme. Her PhD research focussed on the neurogenic potential of human dental pulp stem cells; potential candidates for cell-based therapies for treatment of neurological diseases, such as stroke. Her dissertation examined the ability to reprogram human dental pulp stem cells along the neural lineage using specific transcription factors and culture conditions, to enhance their neurogenic capacity, including their ability to replace lost neural cells.