Adelfa E. Serrano is Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico-School of Medicine. She is Director of the Molecular Biology of Malaria Parasites Research Laboratory focusing on the elucidation of the molecular basis of Plasmodium drug resistance in the rodent malaria model, Plasmodium berghei. Her group also works in the identification of novel targets for therapeutic interventions using reverse genetics and the identification of genes essential for devel-opment in both the vertebrate and the mosquito host. In addition, her laboratory regularly conducts in vivo testing of potential anti-malarials in P. berghei. Currently, Dr. Serrano collaborates with top inves-tigators in the field such as the Leiden Malaria Research Group from Leiden University, The Nether-lands; the Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University and Genzyme, Boston.
Dr. Serrano earned her doctoral degree at The University of Georgia (Athens, GA) in parasite immunol-ogy and vaccines. Subsequently, she received her post-doctoral training at the Harvard School of Pub-lic Health, Department of Tropical Public Health, working on the molecular biology of Plasmodium. She joined the faculty of the Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine where she has trained professional, undergraduate and graduate students. In ad-dition, she has published high- impact research findings in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Serrano also co-coordinates the Center for Molecular Genetics and Infectious Disease Research Program (CMGIDR) and directs the Infectious Diseases Component in this center. The goal of the CMGIDR is to develop and strengthen a collaborative research environment that will enable high-quality biomedical research in molecular genetics and infectious diseases at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus.