As a postdoctoral research scientist in the laboratory of Dr. Dennis Vitkup, I am interested in developing methods for the annotation, reconstruction, and simulation of microbial metabolic networks. Working as a graduate student in the Vitkup Lab, this research led to the development of the Global Biochemical Reconstruction Using Sampling (GLOBUS) algorithm, a novel probabilistic method for the genome-wide annotation of metabolic genes. GLOBUS combines information about sequence homology with gene-gene context correlations such as phylogenetic profiles, chromosomal gene clustering, or mRNA co-expression to predict the probabilities of genes to display specific biochemical functions. We have applied our methods to the annotation and discovery of gene functions in bacteria such as B. subtilis, and to identify novel potential targets for malaria treatment. We are currently expanding the types of data used by GLOBUS, and anticipate this will greatly enhance its performance. Another central object of my research is the comparative analysis of metabolic phenotypes across bacterial phylogenetic space. The wealth of available sequence data and the advancement of computational tools for the modeling and simulation of metabolic networks are allowing us to trace phenotypic properties of bacteria across 4 billion years of evolution. 

Before arriving at Columbia University, I worked for three years in the Agrobiodiversity Research Area at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Cali, Colombia, where I received the 2008 Outstanding Young Scientist of the Year Award. After my PhD, I was awarded the Titus M. Coan Prize for Excellence in Research by Columbia University.