Bacterial Genomics: Sequencing Tools & Analysis

Lina Cavaco is a distinguished veterinarian and researcher specializing in antimicrobial resistance and veterinary microbiology. She holds a DVM and a PhD in antimicrobial resistance from the University of Copenhagen, complemented by a Master's degree in Veterinary Public Health. With nearly 20 years of experience, Cavaco has made significant contributions to veterinary diagnostics, research, and education, focusing on antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Currently, she works at Statens Serum Institute, where her research encompasses monitoring and addressing antimicrobial resistance in bacterial diseases. Cavaco is also an educator, offering courses on antimicrobial resistance through platforms like Coursera, where she shares her expertise with students and professionals interested in this critical area of public health. Her work not only advances scientific understanding but also plays a vital role in developing strategies to combat the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance globally.

Dr. Pimlapas Leekitcharoenphon is a bioinformatician and postdoctoral researcher at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), specializing in whole genome sequencing (WGS) typing and epidemiology. Her research focuses on the short- and long-term evolution of bacterial genomes, particularly foodborne pathogens, and their population structures. Notable achievements in her career include evaluating the use of WGS for sub-typing and outbreak detection of Salmonella enterica, discovering a virulent fragment unique to S. Typhimurium ST313 and S. Dublin, and studying the global epidemiology of S. Typhimurium DT104. Dr. Leekitcharoenphon is actively involved in applying WGS to food safety and public health, particularly concerning antimicrobial resistance, and currently works within the EU Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance. She has facilitated eight international bioinformatics training courses focused on WGS data analysis for detecting foodborne pathogens and has co-supervised four PhD students in genomic epidemiology. With 24 peer-reviewed publications, including eight as the first author, her work has significantly contributed to the field, with her research appearing in high-ranking journals such as PNAS.