• Maria Sundaram PhD, MSPH

  • Associate Research Scientist


    • MCRI - MCRI-Clin Epidem and Pop Hlth
    • 1000 North Oak Ave. ML2 Marshfield, WI 54449

Education

2014 to 2018:
PhD, Environmental Health-Infectious Diseases, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
2009 to 2011:
MSPH, International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
2004 to 2009:
BS, Neuroscience and German, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Work Experience

2021 to 2021:
Associate Research Scientist, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI
2020 to 2021:
Postdoctoral Fellow, ICES and University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Toronto, ON
2018 to 2020:
Postdoctoral Fellow, Emory Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA
2011 to 2014:
Research Epidemiologist, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI
2011 to 2011:
Consultant, The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health at WHO, Geneva, SUI

Statement

Dr. Sundaram is an infectious disease epidemiologist and Associate Research Scientist in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Population Health at the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute. Her research focuses on topics of respiratory pathogen transmission in communities, vaccine effectiveness, maternal and child health, and vaccine promotion and policy. Her work primarily focuses on respiratory viral pathogens, including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and SARS-CoV-2. Dr. Sundaram also serves as a COVID-19 expert for a weekly radio program on the BBC World Service.

Research Interests

Vaccinology and vaccine epidemiology, including safety, effectiveness, and policy

Vaccine-preventable respiratory pathogens, including influenza, RSV, SARS-CoV-2, Neisseria meningitidis, and Bordetella pertussis

Bioethical considerations of vaccination programs and vaccine confidence

Infectious diseases in the perinatal period and maternal immunization

Health equity and local/global vaccine equity

Professional Societies

2014 to Present:
Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health

Select Publications

  • Belongia EA, Simpson MD, King JP, Sundaram ME, Kelley NS, Osterholm MT, McLean HQ. Variable influenza vaccine effectiveness by subtype: a systematic review and meta-analysis of test-negative design studies. Lancet Infect Dis. 2016 August; 16(8):942-951.
    PubMed ID: 27061888
  • Belongia EA, Skowronski DM, McLean HQ, Chambers C, Sundaram ME, De Serres G. Repeated annual influenza vaccination and vaccine effectiveness: review of evidence. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2017 July; 16(7):1-14.
    PubMed ID: 28562111
  • Sundaram ME, Guterman LB, Omer SB. The True Cost of Measles Outbreaks During the Postelimination Era. JAMA. 2019 March 26; 321(12):1155-1156. PMCID: PMC7249451.
    PubMed ID: 30844023
  • Maria E. Sundaram, Andrew Calzavara, Sharmistha Mishra, Rafal Kustra, Adrienne K. Chan, Mackenzie A. Hamilton,...Jeffrey C. Kwong. Individual and social determinants of SARS-CoV-2 testing and positivity in Ontario, Canada: a population-wide study. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2021 May 17; 193(20):E723-E734. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.202608.
  • Polter EJ, Christianson B, Steinberg A, Doan M, Ljungman H, Sundaram ME,...Bendixsen C [including VanWormer JJ, McLean HQ.] Urban and rural healthcare providers' perspectives on HPV vaccination in Minnesota. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2023 December 15;19(3):2291859. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2291859. PMCID: PMC10730133.
    PubMed ID: 38095606
  • Warren JL, Sundaram M, Pitzer VE, Omer SB, Weinberger DM. Incorporating efficacy data from initial trials into subsequent evaluations: Application to vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus. Epidemiology. 2024 March 1;35(2):130-136. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001690.
    PubMed ID: 37963353
  • Grima AA, Kwong JC, Richard L, Reid J, Raphael J, Basta NE,...Sundaram ME. The safety of seasonal influenza vaccination among adults prescribed immune checkpoint inhibitors: A self-controlled case series study using administrative data. VACCINE. 2024 March 7;42(7):1498-1505. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.01.023.
    PubMed ID: 38341288
  • Chung H, Campitelli MA, Buchan SA, Campigotto A, Crowcroft NS, Gubbay JB,...Kwong JC [including Sundaram ME.] Measuring waning protection from seasonal influenza vaccination during nine influenza seasons, Ontario, Canada, 2010/11 to 2018/19. Euro Surveill. 2024 February;29(8). doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.8.2300239.
    PubMed ID: 38390652