Ada Vergara is a biologist from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru) and a Research Assistant at the Malaria Laboratory. Her research focuses on understanding the immune mechanisms that determine different clinical outcomes of Plasmodium vivax infection, with particular interest in naturally acquired immunity and asymptomatic malaria. She currently investigates B-cell immune responses using high-dimensional flow cytometry to compare immune profiles between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Through this work, she aims to identify immune signatures associated with protection against clinical disease and contribute to a better understanding of malaria immunity in low-transmission settings. As an early-career researcher, she is passionate about immunology, infectious diseases, and translating immunological findings into strategies that support malaria control and elimination.

"Our research explores how B-cell immune responses differ between symptomatic and asymptomatic Plasmodium vivax infection to better understand the immune mechanisms associated with protection from clinical disease."