Maria Letizia Di Martino

Researcher Docent at Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology; Infection and Immunity; Mikael Sellin

E-mail:: ml.dimartino@imbim.uu.se
Visiting address:: BMC
Husargatan 3
752 37 UPPSALA
Postal address:: Box 582
751 23 UPPSALA

Download contact information for Maria Letizia Di Martino at Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology; Infection and Immunity; Mikael Sellin

ORCID:: 0000-0002-9491-4000

Short presentation

I am an Associate Professor (Docent) at Uppsala University where I lead research at the intersection of bacterial genetics, molecular microbiology, and advanced tissue culture. My work focuses on unraveling the complexities of host-pathogen interactions through cutting-edge intestinal organoid models and functional genomics approaches.

Keywords

Host–pathogen interactions
Functional genomics
Bacterial pathogenesis
Virulence regulation
Gut epithelial organoid infection models
Antimicrobial resistance
Shigella
Salmonella

Biography

Degrees and Merits

2026 - Associate Professor (Docent) in Microbiology, Uppsala University.
2026 - National Scientific Qualification (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale - ASN) as Associate Professor (Docent) in the Italian higher education system for the disciplinary field of 06/A3 - MICROBIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY. Validity: From 2026-06-12 to 2038-06-12.
2024 - National Scientific Qualification (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale - ASN) as Associate Professor (Docent) in the Italian higher education system for the disciplinary field of 05/I2 - MICROBIOLOGY. Validity: From 2024-09-16 to 2036-09-16.
2011 - PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology, Doctoral thesis in Microbiology - Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

Grants

2023 – 2025 ǀ Carl Tryggers Stiftelse ǀ The fitness landscape of Shigella flexneri at the transition between environmental and host-colonizing lifestyles.
2021 ǀ Clas Groschinsky Minnesfond ǀ TraDIShigella: Revealing the Shigella flexneri epithelial invasome in a human enteroid infection model.
2020 ǀ ESCMID (European Society for Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases) ǀ Revealing the Shigella flexneri epithelial invasome in a human enteroid infection model.
2019 – 2021 ǀ Carl Tryggers Stiftelse ǀ VirF21: a negative regulator of the Shigella life style switching.
2014 ǀ Sapienza University of Rome ǀ Training Abroad Postdoctoral Fellowship – Group of Gerhart Wagner, Uppsala University.
2013 ǀ FEMS Visiting Postdoctoral Fellowship ǀ Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.

Distinctions and awards

2017 ǀ Giovanni Magni Award 2017 for the best paper in Molecular Microbiology (Di Martino et al, 2016 – mBio).
2012 ǀ SIMGBM - Franco Tatò 2012 Award for the best PhD thesis in General Microbiology.

Research

My research mission is to understand how enteric bacterial pathogens interact with the intestinal epithelium, adapt to the human host, and establish infection. By combining functional genomics, bacterial genetics, human organoid infection models, and clinically relevant circulating strains, I aim to uncover the molecular determinants of host–pathogen interactions, virulence, bacterial fitness, and antimicrobial resistance. Ultimately, I aim to translate this knowledge into innovative strategies to prevent and treat enteric infectious diseases.