Research Adaptive Response, Metabolism and Immunobiology

Infectious diseases and microbiome

Research Program

Adaptive Response, Metabolism and Immunobiology

Leaders

Where we are

SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital

How to reach us

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Our research group focuses on the study of the clinical, molecular and epidemiological aspects of the principal infectious diseases in children, as well as how diagnosis might be improved.

We have been part of the Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP) since 2016 and recognised as a consolidated research group by AGAUR (Government of Catalonia, 2017/SGR/742) since 2009.

Research lines

  1. Infection in the vulnerable patient: study of infections in at-risk populations, with special emphasis on childhood tuberculosis, from a clinical, epidemiological and therapeutic perspective.
  2. Respiratory viral infections: analysis of the burden, dynamics, diagnosis and evaluation of preventive measures against respiratory infections of viral origin.
  3. Vaccination-preventable diseases: clinical and epidemiological evaluation of these infections, with special reference to pneumococcal disease.
  4. Molecular epidemiological surveillance and human microbiome: application of advanced genomics for pathogen surveillance and the study of factors associated with the development of a healthy microbiome in the first years of life, as well as the use of microbiota-based biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of communicable and non-communicable diseases, including cancer.
  5. Predictive artificial intelligence and next-generation diagnostics in infectious diseases: development of new diagnostic tools through fast, affordable technologies and the integration of artificial intelligence.

Scientific objectives

  1. To further understand the course of paediatric invasive pneumococcal disease after including the pneumococcal conjugate 13-valent vaccine in the vaccination schedule.
  2. To analyse the effectiveness of administering the whooping cough vaccine during the third trimester of pregnancy to prevent whooping cough.
  3. To investigate the association between the composition of the nasopharyngeal microbiota and the clinical, epidemiological and microbiological characteristics of infants under one year of age with a clinical whooping cough diagnosis.
  4. To analyse the factors associated with the composition of the nasopharyngeal microbiota and its role as a differential marker between bacterial pneumonia or respiratory viral infection in children.
  5. To identify a microbiota indicative of a risk of severe respiratory rhinovirus infection in children under five years.
  6. To develop and validate a clinical metagenomic sequencing assay based on non-targeted next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for the rapid, simple, accurate and affordable identification of pathogens causing sepsis and meningitis.

Area/Field of expertise

The research carried out by our group is part of the study of the clinical, microbiological, molecular and therapeutic aspects of paediatric infectious diseases. We are a multidisciplinary team of researchers specialising in paediatrics, microbiology, bioinformatics, biostatistics and management. One of the greatest challenges of the group is the study of the human microbiome and diagnostic innovation in infectious diseases with the use of next-generation mass sequencing. This new activity is combined with our consolidated research experience within each of the lines of inquiry in which we work.

Group members

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Projects

Project name:
Contratos predoctorales de formación en investigación en salud_Beneficiari: María Cisneros
Leader
Carmen Muñoz Almagro
Funding entities:
Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Code
FI24/00206
Starting - finishing date:
2025 - 2028
Project name:
Emergencia de Mycobacterium lentiflavum como causa principal de linfadenitis en niños: un enfoque genómico para comprender su epidemiología y transmisión
Leader
Antoni Noguera Julian
Funding entities:
Fundación de la Sociedad Española de Infectología Pediátrica (Fundación SEIP)
Code
PCP00446
Starting - finishing date:
2025 - 2027
Project name:
Performance of vidas TB-Igra in children and adolescent at risk of tuberculosis
Leader
Antoni Noguera Julian
Funding entities:
BioMérieux France
Code
PCP00420
Starting - finishing date:
2024 - 2026
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Theses

  • Caracterización epidemiológica, clínica e inmunológica del síndrome inflamatorio multisistémico pediátrico asociado a la infección por SAR-CoV-2
    Author
    Pino Ramirez, Rosa María
    Institution
    UNIVERSIDAD DE BARCELONA
    15/01/2025
  • Estudio de la función cardíaca en niños con cardiopatía congénita estructural. Impacto de la cirugía durante el primer año de vida sobre la función cardíaca
    Author
    Walter, Carin Cristina
    Institution
    UNIVERSIDAD DE BARCELONA
    14/12/2024
  • Impacte dels factors epidemiològics i ambientals en les infeccions víriques respiratòries dels pacients pediàtrics
    Author
    Armero Campos, Georgina
    Institution
    UNIVERSIDAD DE BARCELONA
    25/09/2024
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