Rafael De Cid

Biologist (1989), trained in human genetics and molecular epidemiology of complex diseases. His research interest is understanding the genomic architecture of complex inherited traits and its application to human common diseases prediction. His PhD Project contributed to dissection of genetic basis of psoriasis and asthma in the Spanish population (2002) using linkage and family based sudies. Since 2002, as Post-doctoral investigator at CRG, he contributed to the implementation and development of genomic approach for complex diseases analysis. Mainly focused on skin inflammatory disorders (psoriasis) (de Cid, Riveira-Munoz et al. 2009; de Cid, Ramos et al. 2010; Docampo et al. 2011; Riveira-Munoz, et al. 2011), he also investigated mental health inheritance patterns, with insights on neuropsychiatric disorders (Ribasés, Gratacos et al. 2003; Gratacos, Gonzalez et al. 2007; de Cid Fonseca et al. 2008; Gratacos, Costas et al . 2009; Gratacos, Escaramis et al. 2010;Fonseca, Gratacos et al. 2014) and also cancer (Menendez et al.2010), being interested in the effets of environmental exposure in disease expression. Since 2000, he gained experience in cohorts studies, collaborating with colleagues of recognized international expertize (J.Sunyer, J.MAntó, M.Kogevinas, IsGLOBAL (former CREAL), Barcelona, España) being trained in large human cohorts consortia (ECHR, INMA, SAPALDIA), contributing to the sudy of gene-environmental interaction, defining genetics forms of asthma (Castro-Giner, Kauffmann et al. 2006; Castro-Giner, Kogevinas te al. 2008; Castro-Giner, Bustamante et al. 2009; Castro-Giner, Kogevinas et al. 2009; Castro-Giner, Kunzli etal. 2009; Castro-Giner, de Cid et al. 2010), identifying epigenetic-environmental interaction in the childhood neurocognitive development (Morales, Sunyer et al. 2008; Morales, Julvez et al. 2009; Morales, Sunyer et al. 2009; Morales, Bustamante et al. 2012). From 2007 to 2012, he was assciated researcher in Paris, at Institut de Genomique-CEA (CNG) and GENETHON). In 2007, in the last stage in Paris, under supervision of Isabelle Richard, his work help to the implementation of a genomic analysis approach for orphan neuromuscular diseases (NMD) from GENETHON-AFM archives by using a newly implemented CGH and NGS combined approach (de Cid, Ben Yaou et al. 2015, de Cid et al. 2015) from which a patent form was issued. Since 2012, as Ramon y Cajal fellowship (RYC-2011-07822) he incorporates at IMPPC (now IGTP) with a holistic approach to assess the predictive value of genomics on disease susceptibility, progression and treatment outcome, implementing the GCAT program (www.genomesforlife.com). Currently as Senior Group Leader at IGTP, he is leading the Genomes For Life-GCAT lab group, and the GCAT study as Scintific Director, which goal is the analysis and integration of genomic, exposure and health status to analyze genomic-environmental interplay in disease and multimorbidity in the general population. His group, has a dual vocation: its main research objective is the analysis of the genomic-environmental interaction in common diseases in the general population using a large population cohort, the GCAT cohort; and on the other hand it aims to promote a multidisciplinary scientific platform, cross-sectional and open to feed the genomic analysis of common diseases in a single multidisciplinary cohort. In the three past years, the group has directed his research efforts in deciphering the genetics of the COVID-19 host, delineating the main genetic loci involved in the infection and evolution of SARS-CoV- 2, and the study of the impact of cardiovascular risk factors associated with the severity of SARS-CoV-2, that is an example of the plasticity of the cohort as a laboratory population lab.