Maria Lab's primary research interests focus on the study of host-virus interactions, with a specific emphasis on the host ubiquitin system. She has experience in biochemistry, molecular biology, and virology. Her prior experience includes research on the study of virus-host ubiquitin system interactions. During her postdoctoral work at the University of Texas Medical Branch, she gained experience studying ubiquitination by E3-ubiquitin ligases. Members of the Tripartite Motif (TRIM) E3-ubiquitin ligase family can act at different levels during virus infection. She established the groundwork for her current research by developing a system to study TRIMs and Ubiquitin in the context of virus infection using in vitro and in vivo systems, including Ebola virus, dengue virus, and Zika virus. Her groundbreaking publication in Nature (Giraldo et al., 2020) on the role of ubiquitination of the Zika virus envelope protein in virus tropism was recognized, and she was awarded as a BIRCWH scholar for career development based on her achievements. Her current research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms by which ubiquitination of Zika virus causes damage to the embryo during pregnancy, as well as the mechanism of regulation of Ebola virus replication by the host ubiquitin system.