Maria G. Castro, PhD

University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor, United States

Maria Castro’s research focuses on the epigenetic reprogramming of the glioma immune micro environment and uncovering the role of oncometabolites in modulating glioma immunity. Dr Castro’s team is also developing immune-mediated gene therapies for the treatment of brain cancers. Her work has led to an FDA approved gene therapy Phase 1 clinical trial for glioblastoma which recently completed accrual at the University of Michigan.

Dr Castro is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Women of Action Award from the Israel Cancer Research Fund, the Medallion Group’s Endowed Chair in Cancer Therapy and is currently the R.C. Schneider Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Michigan Medical School. In 2016, Dr. Castro received the NIH/NINDS Jacob Javits Award (R37) for the proposal, “Immune-suppressive Myeloid Cells in the Glioma Microenvironment: Novel Therapeutic Strategies.” In 2018, she received the University of Michigan Medical School’s Dean’s Basic Science Research Award, and in 2019 she received the Inaugural Rogel Cancer Center Scholar Award. Dr Castro was Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2019, and in 2020, she was Elected member of the Latin American Academy of Sciences (ACAL), Caracas, Venezuela. Dr Castro holds the Forbes Fellow Research Award, University of Michigan Medical School. Dr. Castro was a Permanent Member of the NIH’s Clinical Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumors (CNBT) Study Section (2016 – 2020) and was the CNBT Chair (2018 - 2020). Her work has resulted in over 200 original articles and her research been continuously funded by NIH and foundations.