World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
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Microbiology
Portugal
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Microbiology

D-Index
63
Citations
13070
World Ranking
2757
National Ranking
9

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Microbiology in Portugal Leader Award
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)

Overview

Maria M. Mota is affiliated with the University of Lisbon in Portugal and specializes primarily in the field of Medicine. Their research spans several subfields, including Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Immunology, Infectious Diseases, Molecular Biology, and Epidemiology. Their work addresses a range of topics such as Malaria Research and Control, Mosquito-borne diseases and control, Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms, HIV Research and Treatment, Circadian rhythm and melatonin, Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research, and the Complement system in diseases.

Among recent publications, a selection of papers demonstrates the scope and direction of their research:

  • The malaria parasite has an intrinsic clock, 2020, Science
  • A spatiotemporally resolved single-cell atlas of the Plasmodium liver stage, 2022, Nature
  • Sexual differentiation in human malaria parasites is regulated by competition between phospholipid metabolism and histone methylation, 2023, Nature Microbiology
  • Longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Portugal and antibody maintenance 12 months after infection, 2021, European Journal of Immunology
  • Elucidating the path to Plasmodium prolyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitors that overcome halofuginone resistance, 2022, Nature Communications

Frequent co-authors collaborating with Maria M. Mota include Vanessa Zuzarte-Luís, Sofia Marques, Aparajita Lahree, Ângelo Ferreira Chora, and Inês M. Marreiros. These co-authorships point to active research partnerships within their field.

Publication venues commonly associated with their work include bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Nature Communications, Nature, Nature Microbiology, and Communications Biology, indicating a presence in both preprint and high-impact journals.

Maria M. Mota has also contributed to book literature, notably publishing with Frontiers Media. One example is the book titled "Tissue Remodeling in Health and Disease Caused by Bacteria, Parasites, Fungi, and Viruses," published in 2021.

The scientist has been recognized with the distinction of membership in the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), signaling a level of professional acknowledgment within the molecular biology community.

Best Publications

  • Migration of Plasmodium Sporozoites Through Cells Before Infection

    Maria M. Mota;Gabriele Pradel;Jerome P. Vanderberg;Julius C. R. Hafalla

  • The silent path to thousands of merozoites: the Plasmodium liver stage

    Miguel Prudêncio;Ana Rodriguez;Maria M. Mota

  • Heme oxygenase-1 and carbon monoxide suppress the pathogenesis of experimental cerebral malaria

    Ana Pamplona;Ana Pamplona;Ana Ferreira;József Balla;Viktória Jeney

  • Murine malaria parasite sequestration: CD36 is the major receptor, but cerebral pathology is unlinked to sequestration

    Blandine Franke-Fayard;Chris J. Janse;Margarida Cunha-Rodrigues;Jai Ramesar

  • Proceedings of the 3rd IPLeiria’s International Health Congress

    Catarina Cardoso Tomás;Emanuel Oliveira;D. Sousa;M. Uba-Chupel

  • Host-cell sensors for Plasmodium activate innate immunity against liver-stage infection

    Peter Liehl;Vanessa Zuzarte-Luís;Jennie Chan;Thomas Zillinger

  • Genetically attenuated, P36p-deficient malarial sporozoites induce protective immunity and apoptosis of infected liver cells

    Melissa R. van Dijk;Bruno Douradinha;Blandine Franke-Fayard;Volker Heussler

  • Malaria Blood Stage Suppression of Liver Stage Immunity by Dendritic Cells

    Carlos Ocaña-Morgner;Maria M. Mota;Ana Rodriguez

  • Visualisation and quantitative analysis of the rodent malaria liver stage by real time imaging.

    Ivo H. J. Ploemen;Miguel Prudêncio;Bruno G. Douradinha;Jai Ramesar

  • Host mediated regulation of superinfection in malaria

    Silvia Portugal;Céline Carret;Mario Recker;Andrew E Armitage

  • Migration through host cells activates Plasmodium sporozoites for infection

    Maria M. Mota;Julius C.R. Hafalla;Ana Rodriguez

  • A microscale human liver platform that supports the hepatic stages of Plasmodium falciparum and vivax

    Sandra March;Shengyong Ng;Soundarapandian Velmurugan;Ani Galstian;Ani Galstian

  • Accumulation of Plasmodium berghei-Infected Red Blood Cells in the Brain Is Crucial for the Development of Cerebral Malaria in Mice

    Fernanda G. Baptista;Ana Pamplona;Ana C. Pena;Maria M. Mota;Maria M. Mota

  • Host Scavenger Receptor SR-BI Plays a Dual Role in the Establishment of Malaria Parasite Liver Infection

    Cristina D. Rodrigues;Michael Hannus;Miguel Prudêncio;Miguel Prudêncio;Cécilie Martin

  • Hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor are required for malaria infection

    Margarida Carrolo;Silvia Giordano;Laura Cabrita-Santos;Laura Cabrita-Santos;Simona Corso

  • Nutrient sensing modulates malaria parasite virulence

    Liliana Mancio-Silva;Ksenija Slavic;Margarida T. Grilo Ruivo;Ana Rita Grosso

  • The relevance of non-human primate and rodent malaria models for humans

    Jean Langhorne;Pierre Buffet;Mary Galinski;Michael Francis Good

  • Heme Oxygenase-1 Is an Anti-Inflammatory Host Factor that Promotes Murine Plasmodium Liver Infection

    Sabrina Epiphanio;Sebastian A. Mikolajczak;Lígia A. Gonçalves;Ana Pamplona;Ana Pamplona

  • Micropatterned coculture of primary human hepatocytes and supportive cells for the study of hepatotropic pathogens

    Sandra March;Sandra March;Vyas Ramanan;Kartik Trehan;Shengyong Ng

  • Liver-stage malaria parasites vulnerable to diverse chemical scaffolds

    Emily R. Derbyshire;Miguel Prudêncio;Maria M. Mota;Jon Clardy

  • A toolbox to study liver stage malaria

    Miguel Prudêncio;Maria M. Mota;António M. Mendes

Frequent Co-Authors

Andrew P. Waters
Andrew P. Waters University of Glasgow
Chris J. Janse
Chris J. Janse Leiden University Medical Center
Philip J. Rosenthal
Philip J. Rosenthal University of California, San Francisco
Adrian J. F. Luty
Adrian J. F. Luty Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
Ralph Mazitschek
Ralph Mazitschek Harvard University
Jiri Gut
Jiri Gut University of California, San Francisco
Geert-Jan van Gemert
Geert-Jan van Gemert Radboud University
Silvia Giordano
Silvia Giordano University of Turin
Dyann F. Wirth
Dyann F. Wirth Harvard University

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