Miria Ferreira Criado, PhD, MS, BS
Assistant Professor
Department of Pathobiology
Auburn University
College of Veterinary Medicine
1130 Wire Road
Auburn, AL 36849
Education
PhD, Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2012
Visiting PhD Student, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, USA, 2009–2010
MS, Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2007
BS, Biomedical Science (Clinical Analyses), University of Barao de Maua, Brazil, 2002
Specialization in Environmental Health Microbiology, 2001
Biography
Dr. Miria F. Criado joined Auburn University in 2022 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine. Prior to this appointment, she served as a Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Center for Vaccines and Immunology at the University of Georgia (2020–2022), where she contributed to collaborative Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response (CEIRR) projects investigating influenza viruses, coronaviruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other respiratory pathogens. Her work focused on understanding immune responses, co-infections, disease severity, and the development of vaccines and intervention strategies.
Previously, Dr. Criado was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (SEPRL), U.S. National Poultry Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), US (2017–2020). There, she conducted research on avian influenza virus pathogenesis and vaccine development while contributing to projects addressing emerging avian diseases for the ARS/USDA and in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
Finally, after her PhD, Dr. Criado completed postdoctoral training at the University of São Paulo, Brazil (2013–2016), where she conducted research on respiratory viruses and host–pathogen interactions. During this period, she was awarded a one-year Research Internship Abroad fellowship from FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation) and served as a Visiting Scientist in the Department of Infectious Diseases (2015–2016), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, developing research focused on RSV immunology and pathogenesis.
These experiences have established Dr. Criado’s multidisciplinary expertise in respiratory viruses, host–pathogen interactions, and intervention strategies that support One Health approaches to improving animal, human, and environmental health.
Research Interests
Dr. Criado’s research program focuses on respiratory viruses, with particular emphasis on influenza viruses, using interdisciplinary and One Health approaches to address infectious disease challenges. Her laboratory investigates how viruses infect hosts, spread between species, and evolve to evade immune responses, with the goal of identifying mechanisms of disease resistance and improving prevention and control strategies. A major component of her research centers on avian influenza viruses, which pose significant threats to poultry health, food security, and global public health due to their ability to cross species barriers. Her team uses integrated approaches combining virology, immunology, molecular biology, and animal models to study host–pathogen interactions, transmission dynamics, viral evolution, and host immune responses to infection and vaccination in avian and mammalian species. Collectively, her research aims to generate knowledge that strengthens avian influenza prevention and control strategies, supports evidence-based decision-making for the poultry industry and animal health stakeholders, and safeguards food security by mitigating the economic and public health impacts of influenza outbreaks.