Dr. María Rosa Bono Merino is a distinguished Professor in the Department of Biology at the Universidad de Chile. A chilean Chemical Engineer (1974), she earned her PhD in Physical Chemistry from Université Paris XI in 1977.

She earned a degree in Immunology from the Institut Pasteur (Paris) and completed postdoctoral training in Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Jack Strominger’s lab (1981-1983).
Upon returning to Chile in 1983, Dr. Bono became a founding member —with Dr. Mario Rosemblatt— of Inmunolab at the Universidad de Chile, where she has since led research and supervised numerous undergraduate and graduate students.

Her research is centered on dendritic cell biology, autoimmunity, T-cell polarization, homing, and transplant immunology, with applications to conditions like lupus. She has published extensively and is recognized as a leading expert in Chilean immunology.

Dr. Bono serves as guest editor for major immunology special issues and remains active in international scientific communities. With decades of academic leadership, she has shaped immunology education and research in Chile as a full professor at the Universidad de Chile and a national authority in the field.