Ever since I started my bachelor’s program in computer science, I’ve been enthusiastic about using computational skills to help answer questions in biology, especially ones that could make a big difference in people’s lives. During my academic career, I’ve focused on developing and adapting methodologies to simplify and automate bioinformatics experiments, with a specific emphasis on population genetics and phenotype-genotype association studies. Using these protocols, I have actively participated in several projects focused on underrepresented populations, especially those from Latin America.
I began my scientific journey as an undergraduate student at the Laboratory of Human Genetic Diversity (LDGH). During this time, I actively participated in several interdisciplinary projects, including the EPIGEN-Brazil Project, one of the largest initiatives in Latin America at the intersection of human genomics, epidemiology of complex diseases, and computational biology; and the Peruvian Genome Diversity Project, which involved the analysis of genetic variation in both admixed and native populations of Peru. During these projects, I developed several computational biology concepts and tools.
In 2021, I took a unique opportunity to work with the Latin American Research Consortium on the Genetics of PD (LARGE-PD) under the guidance and supervision of Dr. Ignacio Mata. During my time as a postdoctoral researcher at CCF, I have had the opportunity to lead two significant projects: (i) the first X-chromosome-wide association study on PD in a Latin American cohort and (ii) applying GWAS methods incorporating Local Ancestry information. Besides LARGE-PD, I am also involved in the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) and the Million Veteran Program’s PD project.
Overall, my research has significantly contributed to our understanding of the genetic architecture and admixture dynamics in underrepresented populations, particularly those in Latin America, and has laid the groundwork for future studies aimed at uncovering genetic risk factors for complex diseases like Parkinson’s Disease.