Biography
Dr. Bernardo received her B.Sc. degree in Chemistry in 1996 (University of the Philippines, Diliman). She then pursued graduate studies towards her interest in molecular biology and fungal genetics at the University of New England (Armidale, NSW, Australia) where she received her Graduate Diploma in Science at the level of Pass with High Distinction in 2000. She expanded the research work she undertook for this degree to complete and obtain her PhD in 2005 (University of New England, Australia). During her Postdoctoral training, she was selected as a recipient/participant on an NIH T32 Institutional training grant.
Personal Statement
From the time I started my Post-doctoral research training to the present, I have continued to apply my knowledge of fungal genetics and molecular biology to the study of an important clinical pathogen, Candida albicans. Developing and adapting new techniques to my fields of interest has also been a continuous, ongoing process. Notably, I had brought the following techniques into my mentor?s lab, all of which had become standard methods applied in the different projects: a Candida adhesion assay, in vitro macrophage killing assay for virulence, dual-stain vacuolar staining assay, 2- and 3-D checkerboard assay for antifungal susceptibility studies following CLSI guidelines, and the in vitro oral epithelial assay of tissue damage. My current research interests cover two important research areas of importance in Candida pathogenesis: basic science research, which aims to gain a greater understanding of the organism, and translational research. C. albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that has emerged as the fourth most common cause of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections. A significant proportion of hospitalized patients have underlying factors that markedly increase their risk for developing invasive candidiasis, which results in high morbidity and mortality, increased length of hospital stay and high associated economic costs. Despite its clinical significance, available methods for the diagnosis and treatment of invasive candidiasis remain suboptimal, and the problem has been exacerbated with the emergence of resistant isolates.
Areas of Specialty
Molecular and Cell Biology Fungal Genetics Medical Mycology Pathogenesis Studies Drug Discovery
Achievements & Awards
NIH-NIAID R21/R33 RFA-AI-17-036, 02/2019-01/2024 UNM HSC CTSC Linking Clinical Trials to Drug Discovery & Repurposing Award, 10/2016-09/2017 NM-INBRE Sequencing and Bioinformatics Core Pilot Award, 04/2016-03/2017 UNM CIDI IDIP Post-Doctoral Fellowship T32-Training Grant (Univ. of New Mexico HSC), 05/2011-04/2013 CO-STAR Post-Doctoral Fellowship T32-Training Grant (Univ. of Texas HSC at San Antonio), 08/2006-07/2007
Languages
- Tagalog
Courses Taught
ID Block
Research and Scholarship
My current research interests cover two basic research areas of importance in Candida pathogenesis. The first stems from my postdoctoral work on Candida secretion. This project is based on the unique characteristic of the C. albicans pep12? mutant biofilm which detaches from the surface on which it has grown, which we described in a Eukaryotic Cell publication. Biofilms, which act as a nidus for infections, has emerged as a serious clinical problem with the increased use of catheters and implanted medical devices. Their innate antifungal resistance often results in treatment failures of the associated infections. The long-term goal of this project is directed at understanding the mechanism behind this instability which can lead to the identification of novel virulence-targets and subsequent development of antibiofilm therapeutic strategies. The second basic science project builds on my skillsets acquired as a graduate student working on carbon catabolite repression and its role in the control of secretion of degradative enzymes in fungi. Specifically, the project aims to determine the role of the sulfur assimilation pathway in Candida albicans pathogenesis. The role of carbon metabolism in C. albicans pathogenesis has been established, but how the organism responds to limited sources of other nutrients has yet to be examined. Without question, sulfur is an indispensable element to living organisms. Further, the fungal methionine synthase has long been regarded as an attractive drug target as it is distinct from the mammalian homologue in terms of structure and function, with the latter requiring the co-factor cobalamin. Canonical genes involved in sulfur assimilation have also been identified in genome-wide studies of biofilm formation, but their specific roles in Candida virulence has not been established. This project thus uses reverse-genetics together with results from Next Generation Sequencing work to identify novel genes involved in sulfur assimilation that are of importance to Candida commensalism, biofilm formation, and virulence. A third area of research interest concerns translational work. Specifically, using Candida albicans as a model opportunistic fungal pathogen, this project seeks to address the growing problem of poor response to antifungal therapy encountered in the clinical setting. The goal of this project is to identify compounds that can specifically inhibit the expression of CDR1 which encodes a major fungal plasma membrane efflux pump that plays a dominant role in fungal resistance to azole drugs. This project will further test the generalizability of this treatment approach to other fungal infections, such as those caused by C. glabrata, C. krusei, and C. auris -- isolates that are innately resistant to azoles.