Lina Marcela Diaz-Gallo

About me

I'm specialized in genetics and genomics in the context of autoimmune diseases. I have experience in applied bioinformatics, designing, leading, and executing analyses of different data domains to contribute to translational research. I have mostly used R and Python programming languages and implemented diverse bioinformatic tools.

I really enjoy interacting with people in different settings, such as our international and diverse workplace, the Division of Rheumatology, where I have met excellent human beings and scientists. Through teaching, I contribute to empowering people, which is part of my professional role. I'm constantly improving and broadening my research and teaching skills. I organize and teach the basic bioinformatic course.

Research description

My research line aims to identify and characterize homogenous subgroups of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) by integrating relevant disease data domains, such as genetics, genomics, clinical variables, and immunological profiles. To achieve that my research is woven into other study areas such as immunology and epidemiology. I have been studying rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic scleroderma (SSc), and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM).

During my postdoc, I contributed to understanding how gene-gene interactions are important for the genetic susceptibility and heritability of RA (pubmed:29967194).  I, together with my collaborators, have demonstrated that autoantibodies can be used to identify more homogeneous subgroups of patients with SLE (pubmed: 34658170 pubmed:35315244 pubmed:35642868) or IIM (pubmed:35315244 preprint), which differ in genetic risk factors and probably in pathogenic mechanisms. 

In collaboration with Associate Professor Karine Chemin, we are exploring the role of T-cells at the site of inflammation of RMDs and aim to integrate the results from those projects into the subsetting of patients suffering from RMDs. 

Teaching portfolio

I am the director of the annual doctoral course in basic bioinformatics. 

Education

2013-2018 Postdoc in molecular genetics and bioinformatics Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. Stockholm, Sweden.

2008-2013 Ph.D. Student Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, Instituto de Parasitologia y Biomedicina "López-Neyra" (Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine "López-Neyra"). Granada, Spain

2007-2008 Research Assistant Cell Biology and Immunogenetics Unit, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB). Medellin, Colombia

2006 Research Intern Health Biotechnology Group, Research Laboratory at the Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada. Bogotá, Colombia