About Maria Boftsi
Dr. Maria Boftsi is a molecular biologist with expertise in virology and infectious diseases. She earned her B.S. in Biology from Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece, and completed her Ph.D. in Pathobiology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her doctoral research focused on the interactions of parvoviruses with the host cellular DNA damage response. Using advanced techniques such as viral chromosome conformation capture (V3C) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-seq) assays, Dr. Boftsi elucidated how parvoviruses like the Minute Virus of Mice (MVM) and Adeno-Associated Virus 2 (AAV-2) interact with DNA damage sites in host cells to establish infection.
After completing her Ph.D., Dr. Maria Boftsi served as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Center for Influenza and Emerging Infectious Diseases at the University of Missouri. There, she conducted important research on human influenza and SARS-CoV-2, focusing on co-infections, vaccine effectiveness, and viral pathogenicity. She also contributed to animal studies and played an active role in mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students in the lab.
In addition to her research experience, Dr. Maria Boftsi has taught several undergraduate courses at Columbia College, including Clinical Microbiology, Principles of Cell Biology, and Human Biology, both in lecture and laboratory settings. She has also taught general education courses for non-majors, making complex biological concepts accessible to a diverse range of students.
She is currently a faculty member at Stephens College, where she continues to inspire students with her passion for science, while maintaining her interest in virology and infectious disease research. Dr. Boftsi’s academic and research career is defined by her commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and educating the next generation of scientists.