Maria
Martignoni

Dr. Maria Martignoni is an Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the supervision of Dr. Oren Kolodny.

Maria is a mathematical biologist, interested in developing theoretical frameworks to improve our predictive understanding of the eco-evolutionary dynamics of host species and their associated microbes.

While much research has focused on characterizing the spread and evolution of harmful microbes (e.g., coronaviruses), little is known about the ecological and evolutionary dynamics occurring when microbes are beneficial to their hosts. For example, the acquisition of beneficial microbes may allow an introduced species to rapidly adapt to a new environment – a proposition which offers promising new venues for conservation biology for either facilitating species reintroduction in the wild or mitigating the impact of invasive species.

Maria was born and raised in Bellinzona, which is in the mountainous Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. She obtained a BSc in nanosciences and an MSc in physics at the University of Basel. After working some years as a teacher of mathematics and sciences in secondary schools in Tanzania, she moved to Canada, where she completed her PhD in mathematics at the University of British Columbia, focusing on host–microbe interactions. She continued her research as a postdoctoral fellow in mathematical epidemiology at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Maria enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family, particularly outdoors, and strongly believes that achieving a gratifying work–life balance is a key element in maintaining motivation and productivity in the academic world.