Alexandra Zhernakova

Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen
The Netherlands

● Professor of Genome and Exposome, Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen
● Works as a paediatrician and clinical geneticist in St. Petersburg, Russia
● PhD thesis entitled "The Autoimmune Puzzle: Shared and Specific Genetics of Immune-Related Diseases," Utrecht University, awarded cum laude
● Recipient of the Rosalind Franklin Fellowship at Groningen University for studying the biology of common diseases, immune senescence, and aging
● Awardee of multiple personal grants from the European Research Council (ERC) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
● Founder of the Groningen Microbiome Hub, leader of the international MiBioGen consortium, which studies the effects of host genetics on the gut microbiome
● Current interests: Early-life microbiome, early-life virome, host-microbiome interactions, immune-microbiome development, breast milk composition.
● The scientific lead for the longitudinal parent-baby cohort LifelinesNEXT, and her team is conducting analyses of early-life factors,