Maria Elena Bottazzi, PhD
Sr. Associate Dean, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine
Division Chief, Pediatric Tropical Medicine
Professor, Departments of Pediatrics (Tropical Medicine) and Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Program, and Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine Program, Baylor College of Medicine
Co-Director, Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine
Languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Get to know Maria Elena Bottazzi, PhD
Projects
Coronavirus vaccines
New vaccines against coronaviruses including Covid-19
Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis Vaccine
Development for a new therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease. Current efforts focus on the development of two vaccine candidate antigens that will ultimately comprise the first therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease.
Human Hookworm Vaccine
Development of a vaccine for the more than 700 million people suffering from hookworm in the world today. Vaccine currently in phase 1 clinical trials.
Schistosomiasis Vaccine
Schistosomiasis afflicts over 200 million people around the globe and is the deadliest disease among the seven most prevalent NTDs, killing an estimated 280,000 people annually.
Multivalent Anthelmintic Vaccine Discovery
A panhelmintic vaccine to prevent ascariasis (roundworm) and trichuris (whipworm), soil-transmitted helminths afflicting hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Development of a novel adjuvant for vaccine sparing
To develop a highly effective and safe protein adjuvant in a simple aqueous formulation that requires a much lower dose of antigen and that can be administered to humans to boost their immune response.
Personal Statement
I am an internationally recognized research scientist in tropical medicine, infectious and emerging diseases, microbiology, immunology, vaccinology, and a global health advocate. I have more than two decades of contributions in translational biomedical sciences, in vaccine development, capacity building for Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and in the establishment of public-private scientific partnerships. I am also the co-creator of an open-source COVID-19 vaccine technology and pioneer the advancement of a robust infectious disease vaccine portfolio tackling diseases that affect disproportionally the world’s poorest populations. As global thought-leader, I have made significant contributions to innovative educational & research programs, catalyzing policy development and disseminating science information to reach a diverse set of audiences.
Education
| School | Education | Degree | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Association for the Advancement of Science Leshner Leadership Institute | Fellowship | 2017 | |
| University Of Miami Hospital And Clinics | Post-doctoral Fellowship | 1998 | |
| The University of Pennsylvania | Post-doctoral Fellowship | 2001 | |
| University of Florida | PhD | Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Pathology & Experimental Immunology | 1995 |
| Licenciatura en Microbiología y from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras | Other | 1989 |
Organizations
| Organization Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Academy of Medicine, Engineering Science and Technology (TAMEST) | Member |
| American Leadership Forum (ALF) Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter (Class XXXIX) | Senior Fellow |
| American Pediatric Society (APS) | Member |
| American Society for Microbiology (ASM) | Member |
| American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) | Fellow |
| American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) | Fellow |
| Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | Fellow |
| Club de Tegucigalpa, Honduras | Rotary (Honorary Member) |
| Colegio de Microbiólogos y Químicos Clínicos de Honduras (CMQCH) | Member |
| Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar, National Academy of Medicine (NAM) | Fellow |
| Genova Sud-Ovest, Italy | Rotary (Member-At-Large) |
| Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) | Fellow |
| National Academy of Medicine (NAM) of United States of America | Member |
| National Academy of Sciences of Honduras | Member |
| Sociedad Latinoamericana de Pediatría (SLIPE) | Honorary Member |
| Società Italiana di Medicina Tropicale (SIMET) | Member |
| Società Italiana di Parassitologia (SOIPA) | Member |
Honors and awards
- 2025
-
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras names the 2026 academic year as the "María Elena Bottazzi Academic Year"
- 2024
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Election to the National Academy of Medicine
- 2023
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The Vilcek-Gold Award for Humanism in Healthcare
- 2023
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David and Beatrix Hamburg Award for Advances in Biomedical Research and Clinical Medicine of the National Academy of Medicine (for the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development)
- 2023
-
LBJ Moral Courage Award 2023, Holocaust Museum Houston
- 2023
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Inductee 2023 Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce (GHWCC)
- 2023
-
Texan of the Year, Dallas Morning News
- 2022
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Homenaje “Clemetina Suarez”, Presidencia de la Republica de Honduras, Juticalpa, Honduras
- 2022
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Vie (Vaccine industry excellence) award, best academic research team, Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, World Vaccine Congress
- 2022
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Doctor Honoris Causa (Honorary Doctorate) en Ciencia y en Humanidades, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
- 2022
-
Ambasciatore di Genova nel Mondo, Sindaco di Genova, Genova, Italia
- 2022
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Premio de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias de Honduras “Irma Acosta de Fortín”
- 2022
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League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC’s) National Service Award
- 2022
-
Nobel Peace Prize Nomination. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher
- 2020-2022
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Forbes LATAM “100 Most Powerful Women in Central America”
- 2018
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Slim Health Award for Lifetime Achievement in Research, Slim Foundation
- 2017
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Medal of Honor “Orden Gran Cruz Placa de Oro” Honduras National Congress
- 2017
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Honoree for outstanding contributions to the healthcare of the citizens of rural Honduras by Houston Shoulder to Shoulder Foundation
- 2015
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National Science Award "Jose Cecilio del Valle", Government of Honduras
* Texas Children’s Hospital physicians’ licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician’s office and were not verified by Texas Children’s Hospital.