Ann Moormann

Ann Moormann earned her PhD in Epidemiologic Sciences and MPH in Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She then trained at the Center for Global Health and Diseases at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She has been a Visiting Scientist at the Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute in Kisumu since 1999. She is currently a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester. Her research focuses on investigating the development and maintenance of protective immunity to infectious diseases, primarily Plasmodium falciparum malaria and Epstein Barr Virus (EBV); and understanding the pathogenesis of endemic Burkitt lymphoma (BL), a common pediatric cancer in sub-Sharan Africa that has been associated with these two infections. With funding from the US National Institutes of Health, she started the Kenya Burkitt Lymphoma Project in 2002. She was awarded a Denis Burkitt Fellowship from the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine in 2008. Her seminal studies have significantly increased our understanding of how persistent malaria infections during childhood shape T cell immunity and Natural Killer cell functional profiles that control viral loads. Her research is also characterizing the role of EBV and viral variants in eBL tumorigenesis. Ongoing studies, in collaboration with the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) Oncology programs in Eldoret, Kenya aim to discover and implement new therapeutic targets that will improve outcomes for children diagnosed with EBV-associated BL in Africa. Dr. Moormann continues to mentor aspiring scientists from around the world; values diversity, equity, and inclusion; and is currently the Chair of the Young Investigator Award Committee for the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.