Lilia Romdhane

 Lilia Romdhane
  • Bioinformatics & Genetics

Areas of Expertise:
Bioinformatics; Rare genetic diseases; Genotyping array; Next-generation sequencing; Genomics; Population genetics; Copy number variation

Membership:
since 2019

Contact

University of Carthage, Tunisia

Pasteur Institute of Tunis
Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics
13 Place Pasteur, BP 74
1002 Tunis Belvédère
Tunisia

+216 97 464 780
lilia.romdhane(at)pasteur.utm.tn

About me

I am an Assistant Professor of Bioinformatics and Genetics in the Department of Life Sciences within the Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, part of the University of Carthage in Tunisia. I am also an Associate Researcher at the Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics at the Pasteur Institute of Tunis. My main research activities are devoted to the study of rare genetic diseases, particularly their features in the Tunisian population, but also in the North African population more generally, which are characterized by high rates of consanguinity. With the recent availability of next-generation sequencing and high-throughput genotyping data for individual Tunisians, my research activities have shifted to the study of genome structure and its impact on health in order to provide genomic resource tools for medical genomics in North Africa. As the COVID-19 virus is an emerging disease, I have recently gotten involved in a project that aims to understand the host-pathogen interaction in the Tunisian population. I'm also the principal investigator of many projects on investigation of rare genetic diseases using genomic and bioinformatic approaches. As a member of AGYA, I hope to build research collaborations that will lead to innovative approaches for the management of rare genetic diseases in North African populations, as well as to improvements in the lives of people with reduced mobility.

Being an AGYA member is a great opportunity to meet people from different disciplines that will allow me to build collaborative research relationships and widen my scientific perspectives.

It is also a chance to exchange expertise at the regional and international level and to get in touch with people from different cultures in Germany and other Arab countries.


Academic career
2015 - today Assistant Professor in the Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Tunisia
2023 Award from the Tunisian FABA foundation
2022 University Habilitation in Biological Sciences at the Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Tunisia
2020 Award from the Tunisian Ministry of the High Education to encourage Young Researchers
2013 - 2015 University Assistant in the Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Tunisia
2012 - 2013 University Assistant in the Higher Institute of Applied Biological Sciences, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia
2012 - 2019 Associate Researcher in the Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunisia
2012 Ph.D. in the Bioinformatic Research Unit of the Center of Biotechnology of Sfax, Tunisia, and the Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics at the Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunisia
2007 Master’s degree in the Laboratory of Genetics, Immunology and Human Pathology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Tunisia

 

My Commitment to AGYA
Task Force 'Equal Access' 2020
Selection Committee 'New AGYA Members' 2022, 2023

On a personal note

Must read in my discipline: 
The Genetics of African Populations in Health and Disease by Muntaser E. Ibrahim & Charles N. Rotimi (eds.)

Favourite novel:
Poetry of Abou El Kacem Chebbi

The scientist from my country you should know:
Ibn Khaldoun