Dr Roser Vento-Tormo
Dr Roser Vento-Tormo
Genomics, computational biology/AI, women’s health and early life
Affiliation: Wellcome Sanger Institute
Lab website: https://ventolab.org/
Research Summary
Dr Vento-Tormo's lab has a long-standing interest in understanding the principles of transcriptional regulatory circuits, with a particular focus on how signals from the tissue microenvironment can rewire them. To understand this process, they innovate and integrate cutting-edge genomics, bioinformatics, gene editing and bioengineering tools.
Focus on the Female Reproductive System and Women’s health
The lab is interested in the female reproductive system, a dynamic and ever-changing environment influenced by hormonal cycles, tissue-resident immune cells, and age-related changes. This system is crucial not only for species perpetuation—ensuring the transmission of genetic information to the next generation—but also for its central role in regulating overall women’s health. Understanding the reproductive system comprehensively is essential, regardless of a woman’s choice to have children, as it has far-reaching implications for health beyond fertility. Reproductive disorders represent a significant global health burden, often silently endured by many. For example, approximately 10% of individuals born with a uterus are affected by endometriosis, and ovarian cancer remains one of the most aggressive cancers affecting individuals with ovaries. These statistics underscore the importance of advancing our understanding of reproductive health.
Focus on Development and Early Life
The lab dedicates significant effort to studying reproductive tissues during pregnancy. The uterus, interacts with the placenta formed by the embryo, creating a nurturing environment essential for embryonic development. This interaction has implications not only for fertility and women’s health but also for early life development. Defects in placentation can profoundly influence developmental outcomes. They are also interested in the development of embryonic tissues. Of special interest to us is immune cell development, a topic of personal passion rooted in my background as an immunologist. Their research explores how environmental factors can disrupt embryonic and extra-embryonic development, impacting both maternal and early life outcomes.
Quantitative Approaches to Complex Systems
The complexity of the reproductive and immune systems demands a quantitative approach. Cells, as the fundamental unit of the human body, form the basis of the Vento-Tormo Group research. They operate within an iterative framework:
- Profile: Single-cell multiomics to map multiple layers of regulation within cells.
- Predict: Bioinformatics and AI integrate these data layers, enabling biological interpretations and predictions of future outcomes.
- Perturb: In vitro models help validate predictions and conduct large-scale perturbations which are profiled by single-cell techniques.
This iterative cycle integrates experimental data with human datasets, refining computational models and improving predictive accuracy.
