DBHi presents Informatics Talks with Dr. Ahmed Moustafa

The Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics presents Informatics Talks:

Building a Comprehensive Strain Library and Unraveling the Mysteries of Infectious Diseases Through Innovative Bioinformatics and Genomic Big Data

Speaker

Ahmed Moustafa, BPharm, PhD
Director, Microbiome Sequencing Core
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

About the topic

By harnessing the power of innovative bioinformatics techniques and leveraging the vast expanse of genomic big data, we aim to shed light on the intricate mysteries surrounding infectious agents and provide a roadmap for future research and interventions in the field.

About the speaker

Dr. Ahmed Moustafa is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at CHOP and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Moreover, in the past two years, he has directed the CHOP Microbiome Sequencing Core and co-directed the microbialARC, a new strain bank initiative. These roles have enabled him to provide technical support for sequencing thousands of individual microbial isolates and microbiome samples. Over the past decade, his involvement has spanned numerous research projects, emphasizing bacterial pathogenesis, microbe-microbe interactions, molecular epidemiology, and microbial evolution.

During his PhD, he was fortunate to investigate an infectious disease in Pakistan and Southeast Asia, deepening his appreciation for the "One Health" concept and its crucial role in combating emerging infectious diseases. His current research revolves around the development and maintenance of a cryo-genomics archive, honing in on both pathogenic and commensal microbes. His team adopts state-of-the-art evolutionary and bioinformatics approaches to leverage big genomics data, aiming to decipher the natural variation of microbial species and to reconstruct evolutionary events leading to the emergence of epidemic strains. Utilizing the cryo-genomics collection, his overarching objective is to employ various omics approaches for in-depth studies on the microbiome, comprehend infectious disease transmission patterns, and tackle hospital-acquired infections.

Beyond research, he is passionately committed to promoting microbial genomics education. Recognizing the importance of hands-on experience, he has orchestrated and conducted numerous workshops. These sessions empower participants, from students to experienced researchers, with practical knowledge and techniques essential for microbial genomics.

About Speaker Series

The Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics recognizes the importance of learning from professionals in their area of expertise. Informatics Talk is a monthly speaker series designed to showcase the informatics innovations being conducted by researchers across the CHOP enterprise.

Upcoming Sessions

December 18 - Dr. Fran Balamuth, Director of Research, Division of Emergency Medicine

Continued Medical Education

CME is available to internal CHOP physicians and PENN faculty only.

Clinical RSS Activity Statements

ACCME Accreditation Statement: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure Statement: Ahmed Moustafa, BPharm, PhD (Speaker), Anthony Luberti, MD (CME Course Director), Donna Vito (Planner), Ariana Downs (Planner), Hannah Bocchinfuso, (Planner), and Amy Gettlin (CME Accreditation Manager) and others as appropriate have no relevant financial relationship with an ineligible company to disclose.