Residency Period: August 1, 2019 to July 31, 2020
Resident at IEAT, Eduardo Martín Tarazona Santos holds a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Bologna (Italy), a Master’s degree from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), a PhD in Biochemistry from UFMG and in Anthropology from the University of Bologna. He did postdoctoral work in human population genetics and genetic epidemiology at the University of Maryland and the National Cancer Institute (NIH, USA). He is an Associate Professor at the Department of General Biology at UFMG, where he leads the Laboratory of Human Genetic Diversity (LDGH) developing the following lines of research: (1) How the genomic diversity of native and mixed-race populations in Latin America influences the genetic architecture of diseases complex diseases and drug response in these populations. (2) Inferences about the pre-Columbian demographic history of Native American populations and about the origin and dynamics of post-Columbian miscegenation in the Americas using genetic data. (3) Development of computational biology concepts and tools for the study of human genetic diversity, with attention to transparency and reproducibility of the scientific process. The group is currently engaged in the LDGH-Translational Genomics initiative, with a transdisciplinary approach that integrates statistical, computer science, biomedical and public health concepts applied in global precision medicine and evidence-based medicine, in the context of the health ecosystem and innovation. Eduardo Tarazona Santos was Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Genetics at UFMG (CAPES Concept 6, 2010-2013), Member of the Chamber of Biological Sciences of the Amparo Foundation of the State of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG, 2016-2017), Head of Department of General Biology at UFMG (2016-2017). He is currently Coordinator of the Multiuser Genomics Laboratory at UFMG and vice-coordinator of the Minas Gerais Network of Population Genomics and Precision Medicine. Eduardo Tarazona Santos has led scientific publications in important journals such as PNAS, Genome Research, Molecular Biology and Evolution, Blood and The American Journal of Human Genetics.
MISCEGENATION, GENOMIC DIVERSITY AND COMPLEX DISEASES IN BRAZIL
The project involves a series of publications and activities aimed at understanding the miscegenation process and its dynamics in Brazil and Latin America, considering its biological and cultural aspects, as well as the implications for people’s health. The project also involves the Mosaico Translational Genomics initiative, which aims to take the concepts and tools developed by Prof. Tarazona for the innovation and health ecosystem.