Infectious diseases and microbiome
Research Program
Leaders
Where we are
SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital
Related websites
SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital 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
- Molecular epidemiological surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases. We carry out studies to evaluate vaccines against prevalent childhood infections as well as the molecular characterisation of the main clones that cause diseases.
- We study vertically-transmitted diseases to further our knowledge on the natural history, prognostic diagnosis and treatment of mother-to-child transmitted infections.
- Tuberculosis, investigating treatment adherence and toxicity associated with first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs and the clinical-epidemiological features of tuberculosis in childhood.
- Human microbiome. This research focuses on the development of the human microbiome in the paediatric population and the relationship of different microbiota profiles according to clinical and epidemiological variables.
- Diagnostic innovation, aimed at the design and evaluation of new fast accurate and low-cost microbiological diagnostic techniques.
Scientific objectives
- To further understand the course of paediatric invasive pneumococcal disease after including the pneumococcal conjugate 13-valent vaccine in the vaccination schedule.
- To analyse the effectiveness of administering the whooping cough vaccine during the third trimester of pregnancy to prevent whooping cough.
- 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.
- 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.
- To identify a microbiota indicative of a risk of severe respiratory rhinovirus infection in children under five years.
- 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
-
Investigador
-
Investigador post-doc
-
Maria Fernández De Sevilla Estrach
Investigador post-doc
-
Investigador
-
Investigador pre-doc
-
Investigador
-
Jefe de Grupo Senior
-
Técnico
-
Investigador
-
Investigador
-
Investigador
-
Investigador
-
Investigador
-
Investigador pre-doc
-
Investigador pre-doc
-
Ayudante de investigación
-
Investigador pre-doc
-
Ayudante de investigación
-
Noelia Cuerva Almodóvar
Ayudante de investigación
-
Aleix Lluansí Salis
Investigador pre-doc
Last Publications
- Agüera T, Melé-Casas M, Molina MM, Pons-Odena M, Fernández de Sevilla-Estrach M, García-García JJ, Launes-Montana C and Monfort L Safety and effectiveness of bubble continuous positive airway pressure as respiratory support for bronchiolitis in a pediatric ward. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS . 181(12): 4039-4047.
- Velasco E, Batllori-Tragant M, Manuel Monsonis Cabedo, Valls-Lafon A, Rios-Barnés M, Simó-Nebot S, Anna Gamell Fullà, Fortuny-Guasch C, Tebruegge M and Noguera-Julián A Host, technical, and environmental factors affecting QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube performance in children below 5 years of age. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS . 12(1): 19908-19908.
- Mele-Casas M, Launes-Montana C, Fernández de Sevilla-Estrach M, Hernandez-Garcia M, Pons-Tomas G, Bassat Q, Fumadó V, Fortuny-Guasch C, Garcia-Miquel A, Bonet-Carne E, Prats C, Ajanovic S, Cubells M, Claverol J, Penela-Sanchez D, Jou-Munoz C, Arias S, Balanza N, Baro B, Millat-Martinez P, Alonso S, Alvarez-Lacalle E, Catala M, Cuadras-Palleja D, Munoz-Almagro C, Gratacós E, Jordán-García I and García-García JJ Low transmission of SARS-CoV-2 derived from children in family clusters: An observational study of family households in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, Spain. PLoS One . 17(11): .
Projects
- Project name:
- Subvenció per a la incorporació de personal de suport als grups de recerca, corresponent als anys 2023-2025
- Leader
- Carmen Muñoz Almagro
- Funding entities:
- Departament de Salut - Generalitat de Catalunya
- Code
- SLT028/23/000262
- Starting - finishing date:
- 2023 - 2025
- Project name:
- SGR 2022-2024_Enfermedades Infecciosas en la Edad Pediátrica y Microbioma
- Leader
- Carmen Muñoz Almagro
- Funding entities:
- Agaur - Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca
- Code
- 2021 SGR 00396
- Starting - finishing date:
- 2022 - 2024
- Project name:
- Rendimiento del vidas TB-IGRA en niños y adolescentes en riesgo de infección tuberculosa
- Leader
- Antoni Noguera Julián
- Funding entities:
- Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica
- Code
- 169-2022
- Starting - finishing date:
- 2022 - 2023
Theses
-
Estudio del papel de la microbiota nasofaríngea en la gravedad de la infección por Rino/Enterovirus humano en niños menores de 5 años
- Author
- Penela Sánchez, Daniel
- Institution
- UNIVERSIDAD DE BARCELONA
-
Utilitat del QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus en el diagnòstic de la infecció tuberculosa latent i la malaltia tuberculosa en població pediàtrica.
- Author
- Soler García, Aleix
- Institution
- UNIVERSIDAD DE BARCELONA
-
Microbiota nasofaríngea en niños con enfermedad neumocócica invasiva, infección respiratoria banal y niños sanos: caracterización, factores moduladores y valor diagnóstico diferencial
- Author
- Henares Bonilla, Desiree
- Institution
- UNIVERSIDAD DE BARCELONA
News
-
New insights into COVID-19 protection in children have revealed the presence of sACE2 in the saliva
The presence of the soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (sACE2) in saliva could have implications for COVID-19 infection, prevention and control, according to researchers from the Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu and the University of Catalunya. This study has been published in Scientific Reports.
-
Relationship of environmental exposure to nitrogen oxide with the severity of rhinovirus infection
Researchers at Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD) · SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital have found that exposure to higher concentrations of atmospheric nitrogen oxide in childhood is associated with greater severity of rhinovirus infection and a higher number of admissions to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.
-
From the common cold virus to severe respiratory illness in children
Dr Cristian Launes and Dr Carmen Múñoz (IRSJD researchers) with Dr Daniel Penela-Sánchez and Dr Georgina Armero started a project in 2017 to understand the severity of rhinovirus and enterovirus infection in children.
More activities
-
Defensa tesi doctoral: Daniel Penela Sánchez
Auditori Plaza, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu · Online
-
Defensa tesi doctoral: Aleix Soler Garcia
Auditori Plaza, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu · Online