Research mission. Our research group specialises in identifying and characterising the factors contributing to variations in treatment response through a comprehensive analysis of host omics data and phenotypic features. Our vision is to enhance comprehension of interindividual variability in drug response, encompassing the recognition of potential risks associated with treatment efficacy and safety that could adversely affect treatment outcomes.

Focus areas.

Our laboratory is dedicated to:

• studying DNA, RNA, and protein biomarkers to identify critical indicators of health and disease;
• exploring the human microbiome to provide insights into microbial influences on human health;
• integrating phenotypic and clinical data with pharmacokinetic research for a holistic view of drug interactions and patient-specific responses;
• transforming study results into actionable insights to support tailored therapeutic strategies and advance a personalised medicine approach to improve patient outcomes.

Key discoveries. Our previous discoveries include the comprehensive characterisation of patient- and disease-related factors associated with the efficacy and safety of anti-tuberculosis therapy, pharmacogenetic findings, as well as the evidence for changes in aging biomarkers suggesting a connection between tuberculosis and aging-related processes.

Methodology.

We:

• employ advanced genomic techniques to characterise patient- and disease-related genetic factors and assess their impact on disease predisposition, treatment efficacy, and safety;
• apply proteomic and metabolomic analyses to identify biomarkers and investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying disease predisposition, severity, and response to treatment;
• integrate clinical, phenotypic, and multi-omics data to support personalised therapeutic strategies and improve patient outcomes, contributing to the advancement of translational research.

Analytic techniques.

Our downstream analytic capabilities include:

• advanced genomic analysis (NGS-based approaches, RT-PCR, Sanger sequencing);
• proteomic analysis (ELISA, Western Blotting, Luminex technology);
• microbiome and pathogen analysis (NGS-based methodologies, PCR-based targeted detection and characterisation)
• acquired data processing, clinical and LC-MS/MS data integration, analysis, interpretation, and visualisation.

Expanded scope. Although our research has mainly been directed towards infectious diseases, we are now expanding our focus aiming to include ophthalmology, cardiology, and psychiatry.