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Patricia Agudelo-Romero

Postdoctoral Research Officer

Patricia Agudelo-Romero

Postdoctoral Research Officer

Eng, MSc, PhD

Patricia Agudelo-Romero holds an engineering bachelor from the University of Los Llanos (Colombia), along with a Masters and PhD degrees from the National School of Public Health of Spain (ISCIII) and the Polytechnical University of Valencia (UPV). She has since held postdoctoral positions in the University of Lisbon (Portugal) and the University of Western Australia, and was a postdoctoral visitor in the University of Barcelona and University of Logroño (Spain).

Her research explores the interactions of microorganisms and their hosts using different omics approaches, working in both plant and medical sciences. Currently, her main focus is the host-microorganism interaction in paediatric chronic respiratory diseases, including microbial clinical genomics.

As a computational biologist and bioinformatician, she is leading a platform for virus discovery and annotation using metagenomics data and dual-RNAseq. She has a strong interest in characterising the virome within the microbiome and analysing its role in human health and disease.

Published research

A near-complete genome of the uncultured Staphylococcus aureus phage COMBAT-CF_PAR1 isolated from the lungs of an infant with cystic fibrosis

In cystic fibrosis, bacteria–bacteriophage interaction in the lower airways is poorly understood. We present the near-complete genome of the uncultured Siphovirus-like bacteriophage, Staphylococcus aureus phage COMBAT-CF_PAR1, isolated from the lower airways. The genome spans 41,510 bp with 33.45% guanine–cytosine content and contains 65 open reading frames.

Real time monitoring of respiratory viral infections in cohort studies using a smartphone app

Cohort studies investigating respiratory disease pathogenesis aim to pair mechanistic investigations with longitudinal virus detection but are limited by the burden of methods tracking illness over time. In this study, we explored the utility of a purpose-built AERIAL TempTracker smartphone app to assess real-time data collection and adherence monitoring and overall burden to participants, while identifying symptomatic respiratory illnesses in two birth cohort studies.

Transcriptomic analysis of primary nasal epithelial cells reveals altered interferon signalling in preterm birth survivors at one year of age

Many survivors of preterm birth (<37 weeks gestation) have lifelong respiratory deficits, the drivers of which remain unknown. Influencers of pathophysiological outcomes are often detectable at the gene level and pinpointing these differences can help guide targeted research and interventions. This study provides the first transcriptomic analysis of primary nasal airway epithelial cells in survivors of preterm birth at approximately 1 year of age.

Exploring the Complexity of the Human Respiratory Virome through an In Silico Analysis of Shotgun Metagenomic Data Retrieved from Public Repositories

Respiratory viruses significantly impact global morbidity and mortality, causing more disease in humans than any other infectious agent. Beyond pathogens, various viruses and bacteria colonize the respiratory tract without causing disease, potentially influencing respiratory diseases’ pathogenesis.

An Analysis of the Gut Microbiota and Related Metabolites following PCSK9 Inhibition in Statin-Treated Patients with Elevated Levels of Lipoprotein(a)

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a leading cause of global mortality, often associated with high blood levels of LDL cholesterol (LDL-c). Medications like statins and PCSK9 inhibitors, are used to manage LDL-c levels and reduce ASCVD risk. Recent findings connect the gut microbiota and its metabolites to ASCVD development.

Education and Qualifications
  • PhD. in Biotechnology - Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain), 2009.
  • Masters degree in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology - The National School of Public Health of Spain (Institute of Health Carlos III, ISCIII), 2015.
  • Postgraduate degree, Statistics applied to health sciences - The National Distance Education University (Spain), 2005.
  • University specialist in Biotechnology - Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain), 2002.
  • Bachelors in engineering - University of Los Llanos (Colombia), 2020.
Awards/Honours
  • 2023 Nextflow mentoring program under a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) grant.
  • 2012 Short-term Fellowship from Foundation of Science and Technology (FCT) to the University of Logroño with Prof. José M. Martínez Zapater.
  • 2011 - 2014 Postdoctoral fellowship from Foundation of Science and Technology (FCT) (Portugal).
  • 2011 Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Fellowship from European COST action FA0605 to the University of Barcelona with Prof. Antonio Tiburcio.
  • 2010 Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Fellowship from European COST action FA0605 to the University of Barcelona with Prof. Antonio Tiburcio.
  • 2010 Short-term Fellowship from FCT to the University of Barcelona with Prof. Antonio Tiburcio.
  • 2010 Short-term Fellowship from FCT to the University of Barcelona with Prof. Antonio Tiburcio.
  • 2010 - 2011 Postdoctoral fellowship for the ERANet Plant Genomics GRASP (Genomic Research-Assisted breeding for Sustainable Production of quality GRAPEs and WINE) from the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology (FCT).
  • 2004 - 2009 Pre-doctoral fellowship from Ministry of Education and Science of Spain (MEC) at Molecular and Cell Plant Biology Institute (IBMCP).