Advancing Computational Medicine With Whole-Body Metabolic Modelling

double feature BIOENGINEERING SEMINAR

(see details of preceding talk HERE)

Abstract:
Human metabolism is a complex interplay of biochemical transformations occurring in the different organs in the human body. Moreover, whole-body metabolism is modulated by genetic and environmental factors as well as by the microbes that live in and around us. To untangle these complex relationships, computational modelling approaches are required. To this end, we have developed the first sex-specific, organ-resolved models of human metabolism. Here, I will present these whole-body models and demonstrate how they can be used to investigate whole-body metabolic changes associated with 1. genetic disorders, 2. different gut microbial compositions associated with health and disease, and 3. for personalised medicine. These examples will highlight how these models can be used to systematically investigate metabolic changes in health and disease.

Bio:
Prof. Ines Thiele earned her PhD in bioinformatics from the University of California, San Diego, in 2009. From 2009 until 2013, Ines Thiele was an Assistant Professor at the University of Iceland. From April 2013 until January 2019, she was an Associate Professor at the University of Luxembourg. Since February 2019, Ines Thiele is a Professor for Systems Biomedicine at the National University of Ireland, Galway. In 2013, Ines Thiele received the ATTRACT fellowship from the Fonds National de la Recherche (Luxembourg). In 2015, she was elected as EMBO Young Investigator. In 2017, she was awarded the prestigious ERC starting grant. She is an author of over 80 international scientific papers and reviewer for multiple journals and funding agencies.