Ana Valdes

Contact

• workRoom A28, Academic Rheumatology Clinical Sciences Building
  Nottingham City Hospital
  Hucknall Road
  Nottingham
  NG5 1PB
  UK
• work0115 823 1954
• fax0115 823 1757
• Ana.Valdes@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

Ana M. Valdes received her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, USA, where she specialised in Genetic Epidemiology. She is Professor of Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology at the School of Medicine. Her research is focused on deciphering on molecular mechanisms linked to complex age related diseases such as osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease and on the role of gut microbiome composition on human health.

H-index =92 Google scholar profile:

My ORCID profile

Set up a cohort of healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic pantherstudy.org.uk which is currently following the antibody responses of healthcare workers to vaccination. PI of UKRI Covid-19 rapid response grant which has led participation in All Party Parliamentary Group meetings.

Grant Panel member for The Academy of Finland Centres of Excellence, Versus Arthritis Fellowships, Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres of Excellence, Singapore Ministry of Health

Associate Editor/Editorial Board European Journal of Nutrition, Osteoarthritis & Cartilage

Member of the Research & Knowledge Exchange committee, Academic Unit 3 governance committee

Scientific Advisory Board member for CPKelco and Zoe Ltd

Expertise Summary

Metabolomics; Gut microbiome; metabolic syndrome; nutrition; inflammation; osteoarthritis

Research Summary

Covid-19 research: co-Chief Investigator of the Pandemic Tracking of Healthcare Workers (www.pantherstudy.org.uk) tracking seropositivity and trasmission of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare… read more

Current Research

1. Covid-19 research: co-Chief Investigator of the Pandemic Tracking of Healthcare Workers (www.pantherstudy.org.uk) tracking seropositivity and trasmission of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers
2. Inflammation, nutrition, metabolic syndrome and the gut microbiome. In collaboration with the Dept of Twin Research I have carried extensive work on the metabolomic profiles of obesity and visceral fat, the metabolomic signatures of weight loss and the role of the gut microbiome on weight loss and visceral fat. I have also investigated nutritional contributions to the gut microbiome. This work has received considerable media attention and I have helped to disseminate this work via The Conversation. I am also a consultant for Industry seeking to develop personalised approaches to nutrition based on gut microbiome charactersitics.
3. Genetics and molecular basis of osteoarthritis (OA): I am Research Area Lead within the Nottingham NIHR BRC muscoloskeletal theme and a Co-I in the the Versus Arthritis Pain Centre. I have recently published GWAS, biomarkers genetic association studies on the molecular basis of OA pain and neuropathic pain post total joint replacement, in addition to several biomarker related studies on OA
4. Molecular basis of aging and cardiovascular disease. I have co-authored several papers in this area including several articles on biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in the top Cardiology journals