Biosketch

Flaminia Catteruccia is a Professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, as well as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Rome La Sapienza in Italy and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Imperial College London in the UK, where she achieved the first genetic manipulation of Anopheles. Between 2006 and 2011 Professor Catteruccia held a Medical Research Council Career Development fellowship at Imperial College London. In recognition for her contributions and potential, Professor Catteruccia was awarded the prestigious Faculty Scholar Award jointly sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2022 she was nominated a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

Research Interests

Dr. Catteruccia and her research group study the biological, ecological, and environmental factors that shape malaria transmission by the Anopheles mosquito. These studies are broadly divided into two main research branches: determining the key mosquito-Plasmodium interactions that favor malaria transmission; and unraveling the molecular and behavioral interplay between male and female mosquitoes that ensure reproductive success. The overarching goal is to provide crucial knowledge to aid the development of innovative tools for malaria control.

She and her research group are expanding their understanding of the biological processes affecting Plasmodium parasite survival and development in the Anopheles vector, and are leading to the generation of novel tools for malaria elimination. They have shown that Plasmodium falciparum parasites are affected in their development by mosquito metabolic processes that regulate egg development in the Anopheles female. Additionally, they are generating strategies to block parasite development in the Anopheles female and its transmission to humans.

Membership Type

Member

Election Year

2024

Primary Section

Section 61: Animal, Nutritional, and Applied Microbial Sciences