Maria Alejandra Taboada Cortina

I was born and raised in Mexico. I obtained a B.S. in Chemical Pharmaco-Biology (2005) and M.S. in Health Sciences (2012) from Michoacana University (UMSNH), Mexico. At that time, I worked in medical and food microbiology and in academia.

In 2021, I joined the BISI program at UMD. In 2022, I joined the McIver Lab, where we study Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus), a Gram-positive pathogen that causes a significant global clinical burden. 

Using genomics, genetic screens, and animal models in the lab, we study the molecular mechanisms of this pathogen and its interaction with the human host during infections.

My study examines how this pathogen links sugar metabolism to virulence. I’m investigating how Group A Streptococcus senses sugars and how these signals influence transcriptional regulators that control virulence genes. 

My primary focus in my research is on the virulence regulator Mga and its potential regulation by the PTS pathway. 

Understanding these mechanisms can reveal new targets for preventing or treating infections.