Hernan SIerra
About
Detail
Professor at Universidad del Cauca
Colombia
Résumé
Jobs
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Founder and Chief Scientific OfficerFundación InnovagenJan 2012 - Current (14 years 10 months)• Lead strategic planning for scientific and technical innovation, oversee R&D efforts and regulatory compliance, manage budget and technical staff, and foster relationships with universities and other industry players to accelerate innovation, facilitate access to resources and expertise, and expand the company's portfolio.
• Signed and executed a contract from the State of Cauca's Secretary of Health to improve strategies for the screening and successful treatment of M. tuberculosis in prioritized municipalities with socioeconomically disadvantaged rural areas (Benefiting 25,000 at-risk individuals).
• Awarded funding by the Ministry of Science and Technology to strengthen infrastructure and capacity for establishing a BSL-2 lab- ProfessorUniversidad del CaucaOct 2010 - Current (16 years 1 month)• As Chair of the Department of Basic Sciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences, develop, implement, and evaluate policies and practices for faculty and staff aligned with the school’s commitment to academic excellence through effective teaching, learning, and research training.
• As the leader of the Human Genetics Research Group, have served as the principal investigator of numerous grant-funded research projects in the areas of human genetics, molecular epidemiology, and, most recently, genomics and molecular medicine, aimed to address key ethiopathological questions in chronic and infectious diseases. - Postdoctoral FellowErasmus Universiteit RotterdamJul 2010 - Dec 2010 (6 months)• Received academic and research training in Genomics and Molecular Medicine.
• Effectively led grant writing efforts for two (2) international collaborative research projects on cardiovascular disease and gastric cancer, resulting in successful funding acquisition and support for student exchange programs. - Intern, Pipeline and Portfolio PlanningGenentechApr 2008 - Jun 2008 (3 months)• Identified key drivers to support out-licensing in drug development from a ‘risk sharing’ perspective.
• Proposed a new strategic framework to guide decision-making for the out-licensing of the company’s novel candidate molecules. - Associate ProfessorUniversidad del CaucaJan 2006 - Sep 2010 (4 years 9 months)• Designed and taught courses in Clinical Investigation and Scientific Writing for medical residency programs.
• Trained and mentored graduate and undergraduate students in clinical and biomedical research.
• As a member of the University Advisory Board, contributed to restructuring the Vice-President for Research Office and revising University Statutes to create a more dynamic and responsive organizational framework. - Assistant ProfessorUniversidad del CaucaOct 2001 - Dec 2005 (4 years 3 months)• Established the Human Genetics Research Group to conduct basic and applied biomedical studies, securing university funding to enhance research infrastructure and equipment.
• Awarded government grant funding for the application of molecular epidemiology to investigate cervical and stomach cancer disease etiology.
• Developed and taught a certificate program (120 hours) in Biomedical Research Methodology, graduating over 300 young biomedical professionals. - Graduate Research AssociateThe University of Texas Medical BranchSep 1999 - Sep 2001 (2 years 1 month)• Designed and conducted molecular epidemiology studies, according to PI's research interests.
• Supervised patients' study eligibility and recruitment in compliance with IRB's approved protocols.
• Standardized and implemented novel molecular biology techniques in the laboratory.
• Contribute ideas to enhance studies' methodological aspects and to the writing of research for publication. - Graduate Research And Teaching AssistantThe University of Texas Medical BranchJan 1997 - Aug 1999 (2 years 8 months)• Supported laboratory data collection and performed statistical analysis using SPSS.
• Conducted and reported scientific literature reviews to the principal investigator.
• Served as a class instructor for PMCX 6000 Toxicology in the Department of Pathology.
• Served as a class instructor for PMCH 6443 Statistics I in the Division of Biostatistics.
Education
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- Diploma of Education, Clinical Research: From Randomized Trials to Data ScienceHarvard TH Chan School of Public HealthJun 2017• Strengthen skills for critically evaluating research findings in medical literature, developing sound epidemiological research hypotheses, and designing and conducting clinical research studies.
- Diploma of Education, Transfer and Commercialization of New TechnologiesUniversidad Politécnica de MadridJun 2016• Developed skills to face commercialization processes of new technologies established in a research and technological environment.
- Diploma of Education, Global Agents of ChangeHarvard Kennedy SchoolMay 2015• Developed skills for effectively managing the diverse interests and relationships within and between regional private businesses, governmental entities, and community stakeholders.
- Master of Philosophy - MPhil, Bioscience EnterpriseUniversity of CambridgeJun 2007 - Jul 2008 (1 year 2 months)• Obtained a highly competitive recommendation for an internship in a drug development company in the U.S.
• Mentor member of the Cambridge University Entrepreneurs (CUE).
• President of the University of Cambridge Colombian Society. - Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Molecular EpidemiologyThe University of Texas Medical BranchJan 1997 - Sep 2001 (4 years 9 months)• Six travel awards to present at Environmental Mutagen Society annual meetings in the U.S. and Japan.
• Lewis A. Taylor Award for Research Encouraging International Exchange, LASPAU.
• Don W. Micks Award in Preventive Medicine and Community Health, UTMB.
• Co-authored and published twelve (12) scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals based on dissertation research and other research collaborations. - Bachelor's degree, Biology/Biological Sciences, GeneralUniversidad del CaucaJan 1991 - Jul 1996 (5 years 7 months)• President of the National Student Association for Biological Sciences.
• Research assistant in the Genetic Toxicology and Cytogenetics laboratory.
• Published thesis results in an international, well-recognized, peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Awards
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- EERACOL Fellowship for Academic Mobiltity in Thematic Fields Related to HEALTH and PUBLIC HEALTHErasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window Programme European CommissionJun 2010Fellowship to conduct post-doctoral training at Erasmus University, Rotterdam, NL.
- FFulbright ScholarshipFulbright Commission ColombiaAug 1996Fulbright scholarship to conduct doctoral studies (PhD) in the U.S.
Publications
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- Barreras para la detección de tuberculosis infantil en el departamento del Cauca, ColombiaRevista Facultad Nacional de Salud PúblicaJan 2024El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar las barreras para el diagnóstico de tuberculosis en niños en el departamento del Cauca durante el año 2022. Se llevó a cabo una investigación cualitativa en 11 municipios del departamento, mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas a actores clave, incluyendo personal clínico, administrativo y cuidadores primarios. Las barreras identificadas se clasificaron en tres grupos principales: relacionadas con el personal de salud, la gestión en salud y la estructura del sistema de salud. Estas incluyeron limitaciones en conocimientos y capacidades del personal de salud, deficiencias en estrategias de información y educación, falta de gestión administrativa efectiva, y costos económicos para los pacientes. Se
- CVirulence Genes of Helicobacter pylori Increase the Risk of Premalignant Gastric Lesions in a Colombian PopulationCanadian Journal of Gastroenterology HepatologySep 2022Genetic variability of Helicobacter pylori is associated with various gastrointestinal diseases; however, little is known about the interaction with sociodemographics for the development of premalignant lesions in Colombian patients. The present study is aimed to estimate the association between H. pylori genotypes and sociodemographic factors with the development of precursor lesions of gastric malignancy (atrophy, metaplasia, and dysplasia) in a population from Cauca, Colombia.
- GEvolutionary Traits and Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in South AmericaGlobal Health Epidemiology and GenomicsMay 2022The primary purpose of this review is to provide specific information about the sources of genomic diversity and the dynamics of viral microevolution that might help to understand the epidemiology and virulence of the SARS-CoV-2 and possible future coronaviruses. Moreover, we call for urgent genomic surveillance in Latin America, a region with particular SARS-CoV-2 dynamics currently spreading global and endemic variants that might have serious implications for virulence (pathology) and people’s health.