Maria Samaritano

During her undergraduate experience at the University of Virginia, Maria learned that every drug approved by the FDA before 1994 had been tested in only male cell lines, male animal models, and even male clinical trial participants. Astonished, this led her to further investigate how women have been systemically excluded in biomedical research, leaving conditions that affect women solely, differently, or disproportionately, egregiously understudied and insufficiently treated. This revelation inspired her to dedicate her career to research addressing gender-based disparities in healthcare.

After graduating with her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Maria joined the Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering at Columbia University. As part of the organs-on-chip team, she contributed significantly to projects spanning in vitro modeling of breast cancer metastasis in engineered tissues and exploring sex-specific changes in innate immune cell phenotypes.

Now, as a first-year Ph.D. student in UC San Diego's Bioengineering Department, Maria is a member of the Aguado Lab. Her current project involves using mouse models and implantable biomaterials to unravel the mechanisms of biological sex differences in inflammation. She aims to pave the way for more inclusive and effective treatments for patients of all sexes and genders.