Marta Alonso

TRAYECTORIA

Marta Alonso has a BS degree in Biological Sciences from the University Complutense of Madrid (Spain) and a PhD in Science from the University Autonóma of Madrid. In 1999, she received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Spanish Ministery of Science and Education to work at the Microbiology Department, College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University (OSU). In 2001, she was hired as an Assistant Professor by the same institution. In 2005, she joined the department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Science (OSU). With funds obtained from the paratuberculosis (PTB) integrative program (United Stated Department of Agriculture), she led a research area focused on the study of the biology and pathogenesis of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP).| In 2008, Dr. Alonso joined the Animal Health Department of NEIKER with a contract from the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INIA-CCAA). Dr. Alonso´s research area focuses on the characterization of how both the infected host and MAP contribute to bovine PTB. Dr. Alonso has lead research projects to elucidate several issues regarding MAP-host interaction with specific emphasis on: 1) the characterization of the virulence mechanisms involved in the bacterium´s ability to invade and survive within host macrophages, 2) the assessment of the factors influencing this interplay, and 3) the identification of immunological and genetic markers capable of distinguish distinct outcomes of infection and hosts with a PTB-associated susceptible/resistant genotype, respectively. She is also interested in understanding the genetic regulation of the host immune response.