Prof. Dr. Tatiana Pinto

Professor Dr. Tatiana Pinto is an Assistant Professor at the Paulo de Góes Institute of Microbiology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). She works in the field of Medical Microbiology, focusing primarily on molecular characterization of Gram-positive cocci through phenotypic, genotypic, and omics-based approaches. She earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from UFRJ in 2009, after completing both her undergraduate and master’s degrees at the same institution.
Prof. Dr. Pinto has been internationally recognized, receiving the “Emerging Leaders in Infectious Diseases” award from the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), and the title of “Young Ambassador of Science to Brazil” from the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) (2017–2019). She also serves as Assistant Editor of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases (IJID), and is an active member of international scientific societies, including ASM, ESCMID, and ISID. She coordinates science outreach and extension programs such as DivulgaMicro and the ASM/UFRJ International Student Chapter, dedicated to scientific communication and microbiology education.
Her research interests include antimicrobial resistance, bacterial virulence, molecular diversity, diagnosis and control of maternal and neonatal bacterial infections, and bacterial vaccines, particularly those targeting Group B Streptococcus (GBS). She also has significant experience in science communication and public engagement.
Career and Scientific Leadership
Prof. Dr. Tatiana Pinto is recognized as an emerging woman scientist, having completed her Ph.D. 16 years ago and balancing her academic career with motherhood over the past decade. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) has been her central research theme since her doctoral studies, where it was the focus of her thesis. Since attaining the position of Assistant Professor at UFRJ, she has successfully and independently established her own research line dedicated to GBS pathogenesis, epidemiology, and prevention.
She has gained increasing visibility and support through numerous national and international research grants. She is currently a Cientista do Nosso Estado (CNE) Fellow and former Jovem Cientista do Nosso Estado (JCNE) from FAPERJ, as well as a CNPq Research Productivity Fellow. Her projects have also received competitive funding from several prestigious international organizations, including the BactiVac Network, International Veterinary Vaccinology Network (IVVN), Fondation Mérieux, Wellcome Sanger Institute, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — all supporting her research on GBS pathogenesis and vaccine development.
Prof. Pinto is also part of the executive body of “GBS International”, a U.S.-based global initiative aimed at increasing awareness and advancing research on GBS-related diseases. She serves on the scientific committee of the “International Symposium on Streptococcus agalactiae Diseases (ISSAD)”, the leading global meeting on GBS. Furthermore, she contributes to the World Health Organization (WHO) advisory committee on GBS vaccine development, supporting global efforts to implement maternal immunization strategies.
Research Output and Impact
Prof. Pinto’s scientific production is notable for its depth and consistency. She has authored over 70 scientific papers, with more than 40 published in the last five years, most of which focus on Group B Streptococcus and related bacterial pathogens. Her work bridges molecular microbiology, clinical epidemiology, and translational vaccine research, positioning her as an internationally recognized figure within the GBS research community.
Selected Highly Cited Works
Pinto, T. C. A., Teixeira, L. M. et al. Expansion and validation of a MALDI-TOF MS-based pneumococcal capsular typing proposal: Predicting serotypes 6, 9, 14, 19 and 23.
Pinto, T. C. A., Teixeira, L. M., Merquior, V. L. C. Streptococcus agalactiae — in Microbiologia (Atheneu, 6th ed., 2015).
Pinto, T. C. A. Resistance to clindamycin, erythromycin, and tetracycline in Streptococcus agalactiae of human and bovine origin: Phenotypic and molecular characterization, and conjugative transfer. Doctoral Thesis, UFRJ, 2009.
Pinto, T. C. A., Barros, R. R., Teixeira, L. M. Nasopharyngeal colonization and serotype distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children attending public institutions in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro: A multimethod approach.
Pinto, T. C. A. et al. Molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from patients at the National Cancer Institute (RJ), Brazil.
Summary
In sum, Prof. Dr. Tatiana de Castro Abreu Pinto is today recognized by the international GBS research community as an emerging leader in the field. Through her multidisciplinary expertise, independent research trajectory, and engagement with global scientific networks, she has become a central figure in advancing understanding, prevention, and control of Group B Streptococcus infections worldwide.