Marta Giovanetti

I am an Associate Professor of Microbiology at Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma (UCBM). My research focuses on understanding gene flow in pathogen populations using phylogenetic and phylogeographic tools to reconstruct viral transmission pathways and identify the key determinants of outbreaks. These findings support the development of informed and evidence-based public health strategies.

My work primarily investigates arboviral outbreaks in Latin America—including Zika, Chikungunya, Dengue, and Yellow Fever viruses—and, more recently, SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil, Italy, and South Africa. By integrating genetic, spatial, and ecological datasets, I aim to improve understanding of viral epidemiology and ecology in natural populations, with particular emphasis on bridging genomic, clinical and demographic data.

After completing a Ph.D. in the molecular evolution of RNA viruses at the University of Rome Tor Vergata and participating in fieldwork in Sierra Leone during the Ebola virus epidemic, I undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) in Rio de Janeiro, focusing on the evolution of arthropod-borne viruses.

My current research incorporates One Health principles and real-time genomic surveillance, particularly in the study of emerging and re-emerging viral threats in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). Leveraging advances in nanopore sequencing technology (Giovanetti et al., Cell Reports 2020; Giovanetti et al., Nature Microbiology 2022), our group has generated a substantial number of complete viral genomes across Latin America. As part of CLIMADE, a global consortium working on climate-amplified diseases, I contribute to the development of innovative strategies aimed at strengthening surveillance and improving response to epidemics.

Curriculum

Current Position

Associate Professor – Microbiology (05/BIOS-15)

Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Italy

Microbiology, Virology, Genomic Surveillance, Metagenomics

Visiting Researcher

Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Genomic surveillance, next-generation sequencing, metagenomics

Previous Appointments

Researcher RTD-A – Microbiology (05/BIOS-15)

Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Italy

Microbiology, Virology, Genomic Surveillance, Metagenomics

International Consultant Professional

Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)

Genomic Surveillance

Visiting Research Fellow

KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Viral discovery through metagenomics, bioinformatics

Visiting Research Fellow

Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium

Viral discovery through metagenomics, bioinformatics

Visiting Research Fellow

Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Phylogenetic, phylodynamic and phylogeographic inference

Postdoctoral Fellow

Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Genomic surveillance, next-generation sequencing, metagenomics

Research Fellow

Spallanzani Hospital, Rome, Italy

Development of molecular diagnostic tools

Research Fellow

National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy – Infectious Diseases Department

Sequencing, viral evolution

She has authored 339 articles published in international peer-review journals, 2 book chapters and she also have involved in the development of 3 open-source software for virus genotyping.