Dr Brendon P. Scicluna is a translational scientist where he leads research at the interface of infection biology, immunology, and precision medicine. His work focuses on understanding why patients with severe infections such as sepsis and pneumonia can present with apparently similar clinical syndromes, yet follow markedly different biological trajectories, treatment responses, and clinical outcomes.
Before joining the Faculty of Health Sciences in 2022, Dr. Scicluna held a tenured position at the respected Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He obtained his early pre-medical training at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict in Minnesota, USA. After completing his doctoral studies in Experimental Medicine at the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Dr. Scicluna became a member of Prof. Dr. Tom van der Poll's research laboratory. At the University of Malta, Dr Scicluna leads the Translational Immunology and Infection Lab (https://tiilabs.org/), which investigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms that shape host responses during infection leading to organ dysfunction. His return to Malta has strengthened national capacity in translational research, particularly in the application of high-dimensional molecular profiling to clinically important problems in acute and critical care medicine.
His highly cited work is published in several prestigious international journals that include Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Immunology, and Lancet Respiratory Medicine. He is a member of several international consortiums and groups, including executive board member of the European Group on the Immunology of Sepsis (EGIS), and an elected councilor of the European Shock Society (ESS). Dr. Scicluna was recently ranked in the top 0.1% of world experts in sepsis immunology research.
Dr Scicluna’s broader academic mission is to establish Malta as an active contributor to international precision medicine research in infection and critical illness. By building local expertise in translational science, his work seeks to connect Maltese biomedical research with major international efforts to improve outcomes for patients with severe infection. Through collaborative science, clinically grounded questions, and molecularly informed approaches, his research aims to transform how acute infection is understood, classified, and ultimately treated.
