About Maria Nikulkova

Maria Nikulkova is a PhD candidate in the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology at New York University, where she studies host–parasite interactions during malaria infection using integrative multi-omics approaches. She is currently a visiting researcher at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute and the Bloomberg School of Public Health, working with Dr. Jane Carlton in the Carlton Lab.

Maria’s research focuses on understanding the complex biological interactions between Plasmodium parasites and their human hosts during infection. Her work integrates multiple layers of biological data—including genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and proteomics—to investigate parasite biology, host immune responses, and the molecular mechanisms underlying malaria pathogenesis and diagnostic performance.

Award and Recognitions:
Maria has received recognition for her scientific contributions, including the Research Capstone Fellowship from the American Society for Microbiology, which supported her participation in the ASM Microbe Academy for Professional Development and presentation of her research at the ASM Microbe Meeting in San Francisco.

Research Focus:

Her current projects examine the biology of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections in Ethiopia, with a particular focus on infections that evade detection by rapid diagnostic tests. By combining field-based sampling with multi-omics analyses, her research aims to improve understanding of malaria transmission dynamics and inform better diagnostic strategies for malaria control and elimination.

Maria previously conducted research on integrative metabolomics of host–parasite interactions, contributing to the publication “Exploiting Integrative Metabolomics to Study Host–Parasite Interactions in Plasmodium Infections.” Her work emphasizes how systems-level approaches can provide deeper insight into infectious disease biology.

Public Engagement:
Maria has also contributed to public understanding of microbiology through media, notably discussing the enigmatic world of microbes in natural environments like soils and bogs in the podcast episode “Mysterious Microbiology.”

New York University: New York, New York, US
2020-09 to 2026-06 | PhD Student (Biology)

University of Colorado Denver: Denver, Colorado, US
2018-09 to 2020-08 | Master of Science (Integrative Biology)

University of Colorado Denver: Denver, Colorado, US
2014-09 to 2018-05 | Bachelor of Science (Biology)