Mariagrazia Pizza
{{Short description|Vaccine researcher and academic}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Mariagrazia Pizza
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MAE|size=100}}
| workplaces = {{Plainlist|
- Imperial College London
- GSK plc
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory
- Novartis
- University of Leicester}}
| awards = EMBO Member (2000)
| fields = Vaccines
Pathogenesis
| alma_mater = University of Naples Federico II
}}
Mariagrazia Pizza {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MAE}} is an Italian vaccine researcher who is a professor at Imperial College London.{{Google scholar id}}{{EuropePMC}} She worked as Senior Scientific Director for Bacterial Vaccines at GSK plc.{{cite journal|last1=Pizza|first1=M.|authorlink1=Mariagrazia Pizza|title=Identification of Vaccine Candidates Against Serogroup B Meningococcus by Whole-Genome Sequencing|journal=Science|volume=287|issue=5459|year=2000|pages=1816–1820|doi=10.1126/science.287.5459.1816|pmid=10710308|bibcode=2000Sci...287.1816.|s2cid=43349049 }}{{cite journal|last1=Pizza|first1=Mariagrazia|authorlink1=Mariagrazia Pizza|last2=Fontana|first2=Maria Rita|last3=Scarlato|first3=Vincenzo|last4=Rappuoli|first4=Rino|title=Genetic Detoxification of Bacterial Toxins|volume=4|year=1996|pages=91–110|doi=10.1385/0-89603-334-1:91|pmid=21359697|journal=Vaccine Protocols|isbn=0-89603-334-1}} She was involved with the development of the first pertussis vaccine. In 2023, she was awarded the IVI-SK bioscience Park MahnHoon Award.{{LinkedIn page}}
Early life and education
Pizza was born in Eboli, Italy and lived there until 1980.{{Cite journal |last=Pizza |first=Mariagrazia |date=August 2011 |title=A life passion for vaccines |journal=Human Vaccines |language=en |volume=7 |issue=8 |pages=808–810 |doi=10.4161/hv.7.8.17637 |pmid=22002174 |s2cid=38618703 |issn=1554-8600|doi-access=free |url=https://www.openaccessrepository.it/record/159416/files/fulltext.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806104212/https://www.openaccessrepository.it/record/159416/files/fulltext.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 6, 2024 }} She studied chemistry and pharmaceutical science at the University of Naples Federico II.{{Cite journal |last=Pizza |first=Mariagrazia |date=2017-01-12 |title=Spotlight on… Mariagrazia Pizza |journal=FEMS Microbiology Letters |volume=364 |issue=5 |language=en |pages=fnw299 |doi=10.1093/femsle/fnw299 |issn=1574-6968|pmid=28087618|doi-access=free }} Her dissertation used nuclear magnetic resonance to explore the structure of opioid peptides. When a family member became ill, she decided to learn more about pharmaceutical design. She moved to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, where she learnt molecular biology and engineering.
Research and career
Pizza has focused on the design and development of new vaccines. In 1986, she joined Sclavo, a vaccine research centre in Siena. She spent six years there, contributing to the development of the first pertussis vaccine, which was able to protect infants, and was safer and more immuno-active than other pertussis vaccines on the market. Sclavo was sold to Chiron, which was eventually acquired by Novartis. Motivated by their success and advances in whole genome sequencing, Pizza started working on a Meningococcal vaccine.{{Cite web |last=Galvani |first=Rotary |date=2021-02-01 |title=Dr.ssa Mariagrazia Pizza, vaccini in tempo di pandemia |url=https://www.rotarybolognagalvani.org/dr-ssa-mariagrazia-pizza-vaccini-in-tempo-di-pandemia/ |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Rotary Bologna Galvani |language=it-IT}} She joined GSK plc in 2016.
In 2023, Pizza joined the faculty at Imperial College London{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}. She is an Honorary Visiting Professor at the University of Leicester.
= Awards and honours =
- 2000 Elected a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO){{Cite web |title=Mariagrazia Pizza |url=https://people.embo.org/profile/mariagrazia-pizza |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=people.embo.org|author=Anon|year=2000|publisher=European Molecular Biology Organization}}
- 2018 Elected a Member of the Academia Europaea (MAE){{Cite web |title=Academy of Europe: Pizza Mariagrazia |url=https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Pizza_Mariagrazia |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=ae-info.org|publisher=Academia Europaea|author=Anon|year=2018}}
- 2023 IVI-SK bioscience Park MahnHoon Award{{Cite web |last=Em |first=Aerie |date=2023-03-09 |title=Profs. Andrew Pollard / Sarah Gilbert and Drs. Rino Rappuoli / Mariagrazia Pizza named winners of second IVI – SK bioscience Park MahnHoon Award |url=https://www.ivi.int/profs-andrew-pollard-sarah-gilbert-and-drs-rino-rappuoli-mariagrazia-pizza-named-winners-of-second-ivi-sk-bioscience-park-mahnhoon-award/ |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=IVI |language=en-US}}
= Selected publications =
- {{Cite Q|Q33892877}}
- {{Cite Q|Q22065549}}
- {{Cite Q|Q36101910}}
Personal life
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pizza, Mariagrazia}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:20th-century Italian women scientists
Category:20th-century Italian scientists
Category:21st-century Italian women scientists
Category:21st-century Italian scientists
Category:University of Naples Federico II alumni
Category:Academics of Imperial College London
Category:Members of the European Molecular Biology Organization