Investigació Aplicada en Malalties Respiratòries

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Laia Fernández-Barat

Laboratory Coordinator
Lfernan1(ELIMINAR)@recerca.clinic.cat

Publications at PubMed

Dr. Laia Fernández-Barat is a certified R3 researcher (Agencia Española de Investigación) who has made significant contributions to the creation and coordination of the Translational Research Laboratory for Microbiology Diagnosis and Pathogen-Host Response in Respiratory Infections at IDIBAPS (link). Her research focuses on designing and validating diagnostic tools and novel therapeutic approaches that integrate 'omics' and biofilms to provide personalized treatments for respiratory infections.

Dr. Fernández-Barat has pioneered the use of a porcine model for pneumonia research, closely replicating human respiratory infections, making it highly relevant to the laboratory's strategic objectives. She has extensive experience leading and participating in European and national research projects, including two EU-funded projects (HOMILUNG and HAP2), the HR18-00058 La Caixa grant, and serving as Principal Investigator for eight competitive projects.

In 2014, she received a prestigious grant funded by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the Spanish Society for Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) to conduct a postdoctoral fellowship at Rigshospitalet and the Costerton Biofilm Center (University of Copenhagen, Denmark). There, she worked under the supervision of Prof. Niels Høiby, one of the pioneers in biofilm research related to human infections. This international collaboration was instrumental in consolidating her research laboratory and securing new funding to expand her work on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and biofilms to other respiratory infections, such as bronchiectasis (BE) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

As a supervisor, Dr. Fernández-Barat has directed the PhD studies of three students, two of whom earned international distinctions. She is currently supervising four PhD students and one postdoctoral fellow under the ARISTOS program (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action) supported by CIBER.



Publications

  • Intensive care unit-acquired pneumonia due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa with and without multidrug resistance.

    Fernández-Barat L, Ferrer M, De Rosa F, Gabarrús A, Esperatti M, Terraneo S, Rinaudo M, Li Bassi G, Torres A.

    J Infect. 2017 Feb;74(2):142-152.

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  •  Phenotypic shift in Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations from cystic fibrosis lungs after 2-week antipseudomonal treatment.

    Fernández-Barat L, Ciofu O, Kragh KN, Pressler T, Johansen U, Motos A, Torres A, Hoiby N.

    J Cyst Fibros. 2017 Mar;16(2):222-229. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2016.08.005. Epub 2016 Sep 17.

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  • The synergistic effect between phages and Ceftolozane/Tazobactam in Pseudomonas aeruginosa endotracheal tube biofilm.

    Oliveira VC, Soler-Comas A, Rocha ACSD, Silva-Lovato CH, Watanabe E, Torres A, Fernández-Barat L.

    Emerg Microbes Infect. 2024 Dec;13(1):2420737. doi: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2420737. Epub 2024 Nov 17. PMID: 39530158; PMCID: PMC11571741.

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