Vanessa Marie Morales-Tirado: Immunologist Driving Dermatology Drug Discovery at AbbVie
Vanessa Morales-Tirado, PhD, brings over 15 years of immunology expertise to her role as Principal Research Scientist I at AbbVie Bioresearch Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she applies drug discovery and translational research to dermatological diseases including Atopic Dermatitis and Hidradenitis Suppurativa. Her work spans small molecules and multispecifics, combining mechanistic studies with strategic external partnerships to expand the Discovery Dermatology portfolio and generate transformative therapies.
Born and raised in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, she is the first in her family to earn a doctoral degree. Her academic career produced over 25 peer-reviewed publications, a patent, and presentations at national and international conferences.
Her educational foundation began with an M.S. in Virology and Vaccine Development under Dr. Robert Rose, a pioneer of using virus-like particles in vaccine development, at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. She continued with an M.S./Ph.D. in Immunology, focusing on primary immunodeficiencies under Dr. Deborah Fowell. Her Ph.D. research on the Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein revealed critical mechanisms in T cell polarization and Th2 differentiation.
At St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, she completed two fellowships in Human Immunology and Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, making key discoveries in regulatory T cell biology and immune modulation while developing novel treatment options for pediatric immunodeficiencies and malignancies.
She then led the Ocular Immunology and Oncology Translational Research Unit at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Her laboratory focused on Ocular Melanoma and Retinoblastoma, the two most common intraocular malignancies in adults and children, examining immunomodulation of the tumor microenvironment for novel drug target identification.
After transitioning to AbbVie over seven years ago, she has led scientific and technical external partnerships in dermatology, leveraging her combined industry and academic experience to support strategic collaborations and specimen procurement for pre-clinical and translational studies. She co-leads AbbVie's Hispanic/Latino ERG chapter and initiatives to promote recognition and advancement of underrepresented minorities, championing safe and supportive environments in the workplace.
Recognition includes the Alcon Research Institute Young Investigator Award and Gerwin Fellow Award in 2015, The American Association of Immunologists Minority Scientist Travel Award in 2007, and the Melville A. Hare Award for excellence in Teaching Assistance in 2004.
When asked what she attributes her success to, she emphasizes resilience, a strong mindset, and working on ambitious projects while remembering "this is to transform patients' lives." She adds that "mentorship, advocacy, and creating opportunities for others have been central to my journey."
