Natalia Rivera

Natalia Rivera

Research Specialist
Visiting address: Solnavägen 30, Bioclinicum Lungforskningslab, J7:30, 17174 Solna
Postal address: K2 Medicin, Solna, K2 Imm o lung Wheelock Å, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • I am a Team Leader and an Assistant Professor at the Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Immunology and Respiratory Medicine. 

    My research focuses on the genetics and epigenetics of immune-mediated diseases, chiefly sarcoidosis and rheumatoid arthritis. 

    Exploring the intricate world of genomics of autoimmune diseases is a significant endeavor and crucial to achieving Precision Medicine goals.

    My role extends beyond individual research projects.

     

    I am the founder and lead PI of the MESARGEN consortium, an international framework I established to conduct genomic studies in sarcoidosis on a large scale. I aim to bring a global perspective to understand the full spectrum of sarcoidosis across population ancestries. This breadth and depth give our research unparalleled significance. 

     

    I was the Chair and President of the 2023 World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders (WASOG) conference, which I am very proud of as I managed to merge clinical and translational aspects under the theme of 'Big data - How to move the field towards Precision Medicine' in Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILDs). The conferences brought over 350 participants from 45 countries. 

Research

  • My research focus:

    • Uncovering the molecular disease mechanisms in sarcoidosis and rheumatoid arthritis
    • Integration of high-throughput molecular data for genomic signature discovery
    • Biomarker discovery

     

    My research does not adhere to traditional methods. Instead, I employ human genetics and cutting-edge computational techniques to adopt an innovative research approach. This forward-thinking strategy not only allows us to explore new avenues but also holds the potential to revolutionize our understanding of these complex diseases.

    Our team's efforts center on big data and data-driven investigations, harnessing the power of vast datasets to shed light on disease pathogenesis and identify disease biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets, such as specific genes or pathways that can be targeted for drug applications.

    The MESARGEN consortium is a pioneering international network that aims to revolutionize the genomics field of sarcoidosis globally. Its mission is to amass extensive sample sizes and ensure population ancestry diversity, addressing the research gaps in sarcoidosis studies. The collective clinical, molecular, and computational expertise in MESARGEN elevates the research's robustness, paving the way for more accurate identification of molecular targets and realistic gene-based therapies. 

Teaching

  • Current doctoral courses:

    • Director and lecturer of doctoral course (no. 5308) Fundamental of Statistical Genetics and Data Visualization, every Spring term

     

    Past doctoral courses:

    • Lecturer of doctoral course (no. 3145) Pulmonary inflammation, Spring 2019
    • Lecturer of doctoral course (no. 3044) Basic Bioinformatics, Spring 2018 and 2019

Articles

All other publications

  • Review: SARCOIDOSIS VASCULITIS AND DIFFUSE LUNG DISEASES. 2024;41(3):e2024046
    Chuquimia O; Rivera N
  • Corrigendum: FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE. 2024;11:1382584
    Xiong Y; Kullberg S; Garman L; Pezant N; Ellinghaus D; Vasila V; Eklund A; Rybicki BA; Iannuzzi MC; Schreiber S; Mueller-Quernheim J; Montgomery CG; Grunewald J; Padyukov L; Rivera NV
  • Meeting abstract: ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES. 2022;81:1152
    Duggal N; Raza K; Sharma-Oates A; Rivera N; Padyukov L; Pratt A; Niemantsverdriet E; Mil AVDH-V; Jones S; Lord J
  • Meeting abstract: ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES. 2022;81:1177
    Sharma-Oates A; Rivera N; Duggal N; Raza K; Padyukov L; Pratt A; Niemantsverdriet E; Van der Helm-Van Mil A; Jones S; Lord J
  • Book chapter: SARCOIDOSIS. 2022;p.
    van Moorsel CHM; Petrek M; Rivera NV
  • Preprint: RESEARCH SQUARE. 2021
    Xiong Y; Kullberg S; Garman L; Pezant N; Ellinghaus D; Vasila V; Eklund A; Rybicki B; Iannuzzi M; Schreiber S; Müller-Quernheim J; Montgomery C; Grunewald J; Padyukov L; Rivera N
  • Review: CURRENT OPINION IN PULMONARY MEDICINE. 2020;26(5):544-553
    Garman L; Montgomery CG; Rivera NV
  • Conference publication: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE. 2019;199:a2431
    Rivera N; Kullberg S; Iseda T; Eklund AG; Padyukov L; Grunewald J
  • Corrigendum: PLOS GENETICS. 2017;13(8):e1006972
    Graff M; Scott RA; Justice AE; Young KL; Feitosa MF; Barata L; Winkler TW; Chu AY; Mahajan A; Hadley D; Xue L; Workalemahu T; Heard-Costa NL; den Hoed M; Ahluwalia TS; Qi Q; Ngwa JS; Renström F; Quaye L; Eicher JD; Hayes JE; Cornelis M; Kutalik Z; Lim E; Luan J; Huffman JE; Zhang W; Zhao W; Griffin PJ; Haller T; Ahmad S; Marques-Vidal PM; Bien S; Yengo L; Teumer A; Smith AV; Kumari M; Harder MN; Justesen JM; Kleber ME; Hollensted M; Lohman K; Rivera NV; Whitfield JB; Zhao JH; Stringham HM; Lyytikäinen L-P; Huppertz C; Willemsen G; Peyrot WJ; Wu Y; Kristiansson K; Demirkan A; Fornage M; Hassinen M; Bielak LF; Cadby G; Tanaka T; Mägi R; van der Most PJ; Jackson AU; Bragg-Gresham JL; Vitart V; Marten J; Navarro P; Bellis C; Pasko D; Johansson Å; Snitker S; Cheng Y-C; Eriksson J; Lim U; Aadahl M; Adair LS; Amin N; Balkau B; Auvinen J; Beilby J; Bergman RN; Bergmann S; Bertoni AG; Blangero J; Bonnefond A; Bonnycastle LL; Borja JB; Brage S; Busonero F; Buyske S; Campbell H; Chines PS; Collins FS; Corre T; Smith GD; Delgado GE; Dueker N; Dörr M; Ebeling T; Eiriksdottir G; Esko T; Faul JD; Fu M; Færch K; Gieger C; Gläser S; Gong J; Gordon-Larsen P; Grallert H; Grammer TB; Grarup N; van Grootheest G; Harald K; Hastie ND; Havulinna AS; Hernandez D; Hindorff L; Hocking LJ; Holmens OL; Holzapfel C; Hottenga JJ; Huang J; Huang T; Hui J; Huth C; Hutri-Kähönen N; James AL; Jansson J-O; Jhun MA; Juonala M; Kinnunen L; Koistinen HA; Kolcic I; Komulainen P; Kuusisto J; Kvaløy K; Kähönen M; Lakka TA; Launer LJ; Lehne B; Lindgren CM; Lorentzon M; Luben R; Marre M; Milaneschi Y; Monda KL; Montgomery GW; De Moor MHM; Mulas A; Müller-Nurasyid M; Musk AW; Männikkö R; Männistö S; Narisu N; Nauck M; Nettleton JA; Nolte IM; Oldehinkel AJ; Olden M; Ong KK; Padmanabhan S; Paternoster L; Perez J; Perola M; Peters A; Peters U; Peyser PA; Prokopenko I; Puolijoki H; Raitakari OT; Rankinen T; Rasmussen-Torvik LJ; Rawal R; Ridker PM; Rose LM; Rudan I; Sarti C; Sarzynski MA; Savonen K; Scott WR; Sanna S; Shuldiner AR; Sidney S; Silbernagel G; Smith BH; Smith JA; Snieder H; Stančáková A; Sternfeld B; Swift AJ; Tammelin T; Tan S-T; Thorand B; Thuillier D; Vandenput L; Vestergaard H; van Vliet-Ostaptchouk JV; Vohl M-C; Völker U; Waeber G; Walker M; Wild S; Wong A; Wright AF; Zillikens MC; Zubair N; Haiman CA; Lemarchand L; Gyllensten U; Ohlsson C; Hofman A; Rivadeneira F; Uitterlinden AG; Pérusse L; Wilson JF; Hayward C; Polasek O; Cucca F; Hveem K; Hartman CA; Tönjes A; Bandinelli S; Palmer LJ; Kardia SLR; Rauramaa R; Sørensen TIA; Tuomilehto J; Salomaa V; Penninx BWJH; de Geus EJC; Boomsma DI; Lehtimäki T; Mangino M; Laakso M; Bouchard C; Martin NG; Kuh D; Liu Y; Linneberg A; März W; Strauch K; Kivimäki M; Harris TB; Gudnason V; Völzke H; Qi L; Järvelin M-R; Chambers JC; Kooner JS; Froguel P; Kooperberg C; Vollenweider P; Hallmans G; Hansen T; Pedersen O; Metspalu A; Wareham NJ; Langenberg C; Weir DR; Porteous DJ; Boerwinkle E; Chasman DI; CHARGE Consortium; EPIC-InterAct Consortium; PAGE Consortium; Abecasis GR; Barroso I; McCarthy MI; Frayling TM; O'Connell JR; van Duijn CM; Boehnke M; Heid IM; Mohlke KL; Strachan DP; Fox CS; Liu C-T; Hirschhorn JN; Klein RJ; Johnson AD; Borecki IB; Franks PW; North KE; Cupples LA; Loos RJF; Kilpeläinen TO
  • Conference publication: NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY. 2015;27:27
    D'Amato M; Bonfiglio F; Hysi P; Ek W; Rivera NV; Nordenstedt H; Bresso F; Schmidt PT; Williams F; Tornblom H; Magnusson P; Pedersen NL; Mannikko M; Karhunen V; Ronkainen J
  • Conference publication: JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH. 2013;28
    Oei L; Reppe S; Ntzani E; Hibbs M; Choi K; Zheng H-F; Estrada K; van de Peppel J; Nielson C; Styrkarsdottir U; Ridker P; Hsu Y-H; Garcia M; Aragaki A; Duncan E; Enneman A; Lehtimaki T; Esko T; Trompet S; Kaptoge S; Eriksson J; Amin N; Kung A; Medina-Gomez C; Tsilidis K; Thorleifsson G; Rose L; Zmuda J; Liu C-T; Vernon-Smith A; Srikanth P; Wilson S; Clark G; Viikari J; Mihailov E; Moayyeri A; Li G; Kammerer C; Lorentzon M; Rivera N; Xiao S; Yang J; Visscher P; Tranah G; Evans D; Karasik D; Siggeirsdottir K; Oei E; Stefansson K; Aalto V; Willner D; Wareham N; Minster R; Bis J; van Duijn C; Boyle A; Snyder M; Herrera L; Cupples LA; Aspelund T; Raitakari O; Leo P; Khaw K-T; Robbins J; Liu Y; Breda S; Luben R; Cauley J; Arnold A; Stolk L; Pols H; Hofman A; Shen J; Van Meurs J; Sham P; Zillikens M; Ohlsson C; Psaty B; Harris T; Reeve J; Jukema JW; Metspalu A; Kahonen M; van der Velde N; Brown M; Gudnason V; Ioannidis J; Uitterlinden A; Cummings S; Spector T; Kiel D; Jackson R; Thorsteinsdottir U; Chasman D; Orwoll E; Yadav V; Van Leeuwen J; Evangelou E; Grundberg E; Richards B; Gautvik K; Rivadeneira F; Ackert-Bicknell C
  • Conference publication: JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH. 2013;28
    Oei L; Nordstrom P; Ntzani E; Zheng H-F; Estrada K; Duncan E; Medina-Gomez C; Kaptoge S; Hsu Y-H; Yang J; Nielson C; Styrkarsdottir U; Ridker P; Garcia M; Aragaki A; Enneman A; Lehtimaki T; Esko T; Trompet S; Eriksson J; Amin N; Kung A; Tsilidis K; Thorleifsson G; Rose L; Zmuda J; Liu C-T; Vernon-Smith A; Srikanth P; Wilson S; Clark G; Viikari J; Mihailov E; Moayyeri A; Li G; Kammerer C; Lorentzon M; Rivera N; Xiao S; Tranah G; Evans D; Siggeirsdottir K; Oei E; Stefansson K; Aalto V; Willner D; Wareham N; Minster R; Bis J; van Duijn C; Boyle A; Snyder M; Herrera L; Cupples LA; Aspelund T; Raitakari O; Leo P; Khaw K-T; Robbins J; Liu Y; Breda S; Luben R; Cauley J; Arnold A; Reppe S; Hibbs M; Stolk L; Pasco J; Grundberg E; Gautvik K; Ackert-Bicknell C; Yadav V; Choi K; van de Peppel J; Van Leeuwen J; Pols H; Hofman A; Shen J; van Meurs J; Atanasovska B; Sham P; Ohlsson C; Psaty B; Harris T; Reeve J; Jukema JW; Metspalu A; Kahonen M; van der Velde N; Brown M; Gudnason V; Ioannidis J; Uitterlinden A; Cummings S; Spector T; Kiel D; Jackson R; Thorsteinsdottir U; Chasman D; Orwoll E; Karasik D; Zillikens M; Evangelou E; Richards B; Visscher P; Michaelsson K; Rivadeneira F
  • Letter: CIRCULATION. 2011;123(5):E226
    Briguori C; Visconti G; Focaccio A; Golia B; Giannone R; Castaldo D; De Micco F; Ricciardelli B; Colombo A; Rivera NV
  • Conference publication: CIRCULATION. 2011;124(21)
    Iaccarino G; Uliano F; Trimarco V; Izzo R; Pagnotta S; Tremigliozzi R; Rivera N; de Luca N; Marino M; Finelli R; Tagliamonte V; Condorelli G; Ceccarelli M; Trimarco B

Grants

  • Genomic markers for diagnosis of sarcoidosis
    Sigurd och Elsa Goljes Minne Foundation
  • Integration of omics data to identify potential drug targets in sarcoidosis
    Swedish Pulmonary Medical Association
  • Molecular biomarkers of sarcoidosis using MESARGEN, a multi-ethnic population-based consortium
    Swedish Heart Lung Foundation
  • The integration of genetic data and environmental factors including lifestyle exposures in sarcoidosis
    KI Foundation
  • Genetic markers for diagnosis of sarcoidosis
    Tore Nilsons Foundation
  • Molecular Biomarkers of sarcoidosis in the Multi-Ethnic Sarcoidosis Genomics (MESARGEN) Consortium
    Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR), USA
  • Genomic markers of sarcoidosis – a systemic inflammatory disease
    Sigurd och Elsa Goljes Minne Foundation
  • Elucidating mechanisms of chronic inflammation in ocular sarcoidosis
    KI Fondation
  • Molecular mechanisms and new treatment strategies of sarcoidosis
    Magnus Bergvalls Foundation
  • Discovery of clinical biomarkers in organ-specific sarcoidosis phenotypes via the integration of genome, transcriptome, and methylome coupled with lifestyle and environmental exposures
    Swedish Heart Lung Foundation
  • Genetic investigations on chronic inflammatory diseases, such as cardiac sarcoidosis
    Lars Hiertas Minne Foundation
  • Clinical biomarkers for sarcoidosis disease
    Eva and Oscar Ahréns Foundation
  • Molecular biomarkers of sarcoidosis using MESARGEN, a multi-ethnic population-based consortium
    Swedish Heart Lung Foundation
  • Calcium levels and sarcoidosis, A Mendelian Randomization Study
    Lisa and Johan Grönbergs Foundation
  • Genetic markers for diagnosis of sarcoidosis
    Tore Nilsons Stiftelsen

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