Dr Maria Gancheva

Maria graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science) degree, majoring in Biochemistry and Microbiology/Immunology. She then completed her 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 (DPSC). Human DPSC are multipotent adult stem cells of neural crest origin that are harvested from the pulp tissue of molar teeth. Their neurogenic potential has previously been demonstrated. They exert positive effects in the injured/diseased brain via a number of molecular and cellular mechanisms, and are 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. This may enhance their neurogenic capacity, including their ability to replace lost neural cells.

Maria is currently working in the field of parasitology, having joined the Malaria Biology Laboratory in 2020. Single cell parasites such as Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii are leading causes of disease, malaria and toxoplasmosis respectively. Malaria causes >400,000 deaths per year with children under five most at risk, and at least a third of the world’s population is estimated to be infected with the food- and water-borne zoonotic Toxoplasma parasites that can cause severe disease during pregnancy. Her research is focused on developing therapeutics, novel drugs and vaccines, to control these parasitic diseases in humans and in livestock.