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Draft:Niamh O'Hara

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Niamh O'Hara is an evolutionary biologist and the CEO and cofounder of Biotia, a health tech company that leverages sequencing-based technology and AI software to identify microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance.[1][2]

Education and Early Career

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O’Hara attended New York University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences in 2005. In 2014, she received her Ph.D. in evolutionary ecology and genomics at Stony Brook University. Next, in 2015, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in bioinformatics at Fordham University. In 2018, O’Hara completed a postdoctoral fellowship in metagenomics and business from Cornell Tech.

O’Hara co-founded Biotia in 2016, together with Dr. Chris Mason from Weill Cornell.[3][4][5]

Biotia and GeoSeeq Foundation

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During her postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell Tech, O’Hara launched a health-tech startup, Biotia, to develop novel technology to diagnose and control infectious diseases and drug resistance. Biotia is located in Brooklyn, NY.[6][7][8]

In 2018, Biotia partnered with Bumrungrad International Hospital with the goal to help reduce clinical processing time from three days to six hours. Bumrungrad was the first hospital in Asia-Pacific where Biotia expanded its international collaboration network.[9]

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, O'Hara brokered a partnership with Twist Bioscience and received FDA emergency-use authorization for a Next-Generation Sequencing assay to determine genetic variants for SARS-CoV2.[10]

In 2022, O’Hara raised an $8M Series A financing round for Biotia, led by OCA Ventures.[11]

While at Biotia, O’Hara cofounded the GeoSeeq Foundation, a nonprofit supporting pathogen biosurveillance efforts by researchers and public health officials in low- and middle-income countries.[12]

United Nations

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On February 7, 2023, O’Hara briefed the United Nations General Assembly in a panel on the “Challenges and Opportunities in Creating an Early Warning System for Global Pandemics.”[13]

She appeared on behalf of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and Biotia, alongside presenting scientists from The Rockefeller Foundation, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, and Institut Pasteur, and City University of New York.[14]

Research

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O'Hara has published peer-reviewed articles in the fields of metagenomics[15][16], genomics[17], evolutionary biology[18] and ecology.[19]

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, O’Hara conducted research to better understand the SARS-CoV-2 virus and facilitate pathways toward tracking and treatment.[20][21][22][23][24] This included specific research on vaccine development[25], variant discovery[26], and detection methodology.[27]

O'Hara has also conducted research on the effects of climate and temperature change on specific biological ecosystems.[28][29][30][31] This included an analysis on the impact of the Mt. St. Helens volcanic event.[32]

Her research includes evaluating ways to protect astronauts and future space travelers from potential biological threats[33][34] and understanding the effects of space on evolutionary processes.[35][36][37][38]

She has also conducted research to better understand and treat urinary tract infections[39][40] and skin diseases[41] while focusing on improving privacy measures[42] and cleanliness standards for patients.[43]

O'Hara also wrote a chapter in the Skin Microbiome Handbook.[44]

Awards and Honors

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O’Hara was a winner of the 2013 Graduate School Awards at Stony Brook University.[45] She was also named a TedMed Hive Innovator of 2020.[46] She was later asked to be a keynote speaker at the 2022 Caldwell University Research and Creative Arts Day.[47]

References

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  1. ^ "Niamh O'Hara _ Team member | Biotia – Fighting infectious diseases, powered by genomics + AI".
  2. ^ "Dr. Niamh O'Hara: I Am Abnormally Patient and Persistent in Tackling a Challenge". 6 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Biotia".
  4. ^ "Niamh O'Hara | CEO and Cofounder - Biotia".
  5. ^ "What if we could understand the invisible microbial world around us?".
  6. ^ "Biotia".
  7. ^ "Niamh O'Hara _ Team member | Biotia – Fighting infectious diseases, powered by genomics + AI".
  8. ^ "Collaborative startup will monitor pathogens in hospital settings | Cornell Chronicle".
  9. ^ "Bumrungrad teams with US firm Biotia". Bangkok Post.
  10. ^ https://investors.twistbioscience.com/news-releases/news-release-details/twist-bioscience-and-biotia-receive-us-fda-emergency-use
  11. ^ https://www.genomeweb.com/sequencing/biotia-raises-8m-series-financing
  12. ^ https://www.geoseeq.com/
  13. ^ "UN General Assembly hears call for worldwide pandemic warning system | UN News". 9 February 2023.
  14. ^ Danko, David C.; Golden, James; Vorosmarty, Charles; Cak, Anthony; Corsi, Fabio; Mason, Christopher E.; Maciel-de-Freitas, Rafael; Nagy-Szakal, Dorottya; OHara, Niamh B. (2023). "The Challenges and Opportunities in Creating an Early Warning System for Global Pandemics". arXiv:2302.00863 [q-bio.QM].
  15. ^ https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(21)00585-7.pdf
  16. ^ Nagy-Szakal, Dorottya; Couto-Rodriguez, Mara; Wells, Heather L.; Barrows, Joseph E.; Debieu, Marilyne; Butcher, Kristin; Chen, Siyuan; Berki, Agnes; Hager, Courteny; Boorstein, Robert J.; Taylor, Mariah K.; Jonsson, Colleen B.; Mason, Christopher E.; o'Hara, Niamh B. (2021). "Targeted Hybridization Capture of SARS-CoV-2 and Metagenomics Enables Genetic Variant Discovery and Nasal Microbiome Insights". Microbiology Spectrum. 9 (2): e0019721. doi:10.1128/Spectrum.00197-21. PMC 8557865. PMID 34468193.
  17. ^ https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/10/Supplement_2/ofad500.2445/7446768
  18. ^ Franks, Steven J.; Kane, Nolan C.; O'Hara, Niamh B.; Tittes, Silas; Rest, Joshua S. (2016). "Rapid genome-wide evolution in Brassica rapa populations following drought revealed by sequencing of ancestral and descendant gene pools". Molecular Ecology. 25 (15): 3622–3631. Bibcode:2016MolEc..25.3622F. doi:10.1111/mec.13615. PMC 4963267. PMID 27072809.
  19. ^ Bishop, John G.; O'Hara, Niamh B.; Titus, Jonathan H.; Apple, Jennifer L.; Gill, Richard A.; Wynn, Louise (2010). "N-P Co-Limitation of Primary Production and Response of Arthropods to N and P in Early Primary Succession on Mount St. Helens Volcano". PLOS ONE. 5 (10): e13598. Bibcode:2010PLoSO...513598B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0013598. PMC 2964294. PMID 21049006.
  20. ^ Butler, Daniel; et al. (2021). "Shotgun transcriptome, spatial omics, and isothermal profiling of SARS-CoV-2 infection reveals unique host responses, viral diversification, and drug interactions". Nature Communications. 12 (1): 1660. Bibcode:2021NatCo..12.1660B. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21361-7. PMC 7954844. PMID 33712587.
  21. ^ Connor, Bradley A.; Couto-Rodriguez, Mara; Barrows, Joseph E.; Gardner, Morgan; Rogova, Marina; O'Hara, Niamh B.; Nagy-Szakal, Dorottya (September 2021). "Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in a Vaccine Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalized Delta (B.1.617.2) Variant Case". International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 110: 232–234. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2021.07.029. PMC 8276551. PMID 34271202.
  22. ^ Parker, Ceth W.; Singh, Nitin; Tighe, Scott; Blachowicz, Adriana; Wood, Jason M.; Seuylemezian, Arman; Vaishampayan, Parag; Urbaniak, Camilla; Hendrickson, Ryan; Laaguiby, Pheobe; Clark, Kevin; Clement, Brian G.; o'Hara, Niamh B.; Couto-Rodriguez, Mara; Bezdan, Daniela; Mason, Christopher E.; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri (2020). "End-to-End Protocol for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 from Built Environments". mSystems. 5 (5). doi:10.1128/msystems.00771-20. PMC 7542562. PMID 33024053.
  23. ^ Antaki, D.; Couto-Rodriguez, M.; Liu, T.; Butcher, K.; Toro, E.; Höglund, B.; Jirau Serrano, X. O.; Barrows, J.; Connor, B. A.; Mason, C.; O'Hara, N. B.; Nagy-Szakal, D. (2021). "368. Performance Characteristics of Sequencing Assays for Identification of the SARS-CoV-2 Viral Genome". Open Forum Infectious Diseases. 8 (Suppl 1): S286–S287. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofab466.569. PMC 8690673.
  24. ^ Harry, B. L.; Qiu, Y.; Lu, L.; Couto-Rodriguez, M.; Nagy-Szakal, D.; O'Hara, N. B.; Lu, S. L. (2021). "149. Extraction-free RT-PCR to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern". Open Forum Infectious Diseases. 8 (Suppl 1): S89–S91. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofab466.149. PMC 8644938.
  25. ^ Connor, Bradley A.; Couto-Rodriguez, Mara; Barrows, Joseph E.; Gardner, Morgan; Rogova, Marina; O'Hara, Niamh B.; Nagy-Szakal, Dorottya (September 2021). "Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in a Vaccine Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalized Delta (B.1.617.2) Variant Case". International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 110: 232–234. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2021.07.029. PMC 8276551. PMID 34271202.
  26. ^ Nagy-Szakal, Dorottya; Couto-Rodriguez, Mara; Wells, Heather L.; Barrows, Joseph E.; Debieu, Marilyne; Butcher, Kristin; Chen, Siyuan; Berki, Agnes; Hager, Courteny; Boorstein, Robert J.; Taylor, Mariah K.; Jonsson, Colleen B.; Mason, Christopher E.; o'Hara, Niamh B. (2021). "Targeted Hybridization Capture of SARS-CoV-2 and Metagenomics Enables Genetic Variant Discovery and Nasal Microbiome Insights". Microbiology Spectrum. 9 (2): e0019721. doi:10.1128/Spectrum.00197-21. PMC 8557865. PMID 34468193.
  27. ^ Parker, Ceth W.; Singh, Nitin; Tighe, Scott; Blachowicz, Adriana; Wood, Jason M.; Seuylemezian, Arman; Vaishampayan, Parag; Urbaniak, Camilla; Hendrickson, Ryan; Laaguiby, Pheobe; Clark, Kevin; Clement, Brian G.; o'Hara, Niamh B.; Couto-Rodriguez, Mara; Bezdan, Daniela; Mason, Christopher E.; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri (2020). "End-to-End Protocol for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 from Built Environments". mSystems. 5 (5). doi:10.1128/msystems.00771-20. PMC 7542562. PMID 33024053.
  28. ^ https://academic.oup.com/evolut/article-abstract/70/1/241/6852170
  29. ^ O'Hara, Niamh B.; Rest, Joshua S.; Franks, Steven J. (2016). "Factors Affecting the Disease Severity of Alternaria Blackspot in Natural Brassica rapa Populations on the California and Oregon Coasts". Madroño. 63 (3): 249. doi:10.3120/0024-9637-63.3.249.
  30. ^ O'Hara, Niamh B.; Rest, Joshua S.; Franks, Steven J. (2016). "Factors Affecting the Disease Severity of Alternaria Blackspot in Natural Brassica rapa Populations on the California and Oregon Coasts". Madroño. 63 (3): 249. doi:10.3120/0024-9637-63.3.249.
  31. ^ "The Influence of Drought on the Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics of Fungal Pathogenesis in an Annual Plant, Brassica rapa". ProQuest.
  32. ^ https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0013598<nowiki>
  33. ^ Solomon, Samuel A.; Bharadwaj, Achintya R.; Singh, Nitin K.; Wood, Jason M.; Debieu, Marilyne; o'Hara, Niamh B.; Mason, Christopher E.; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri (2020). "Draft Genome Sequences of Klebsiella Species Isolated from the International Space Station". Microbiology Resource Announcements. 9 (42). doi:10.1128/mra.00923-20. PMC 7561690. PMID 33060271.
  34. ^ Daudu, Robert; Parker, Ceth W.; Singh, Nitin K.; Wood, Jason M.; Debieu, Marilyne; o'Hara, Niamh B.; Mason, Christopher E.; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri (2020). "Draft Genome Sequences of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa Strains Isolated from the International Space Station". Microbiology Resource Announcements. 9 (31): e00570-20. doi:10.1128/MRA.00570-20. PMC 7393961. PMID 32732232.
  35. ^ Simpson, Anna C.; Urbaniak, Camilla; Bateh, John R.; Singh, Nitin K.; Wood, Jason M.; Debieu, Marilyne; o'Hara, Niamh B.; Houbraken, Jos; Mason, Christopher E.; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri (2021). "Draft Genome Sequences of Fungi Isolated from the International Space Station during the Microbial Tracking-2 Experiment". Microbiology Resource Announcements. 10 (37): e00751-21. doi:10.1128/MRA.00751-21. PMC 8444978. PMID 34528817.
  36. ^ Daudu, Robert; Singh, Nitin K.; Wood, Jason M.; Debieu, Marilyne; O'Hara, Niamh B.; Mason, Christopher E.; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri (2020). "Draft Genome Sequences of Bacillaceae Strains Isolated from the International Space Station". Microbiology Resource Announcements. 9 (44). doi:10.1128/mra.00701-20. PMC 7595942. PMID 33122406.
  37. ^ Bharadwaj, Achintya R.; Daudu, Robert; Singh, Nitin K.; Wood, Jason M.; Debieu, Marilyne; o'Hara, Niamh B.; Karouia, Fathi; Mason, Christopher E.; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri (2020). "Draft Genome Sequences of Enterobacteriales Strains Isolated from the International Space Station". Microbiology Resource Announcements. 9 (37). doi:10.1128/mra.00817-20. PMC 7484075. PMID 32912916.
  38. ^ Bharadwaj, Achintya R.; Singh, Nitin K.; Wood, Jason M.; Debieu, Marilyne; o'Hara, Niamh B.; Karouia, Fathi; Mason, Christopher E.; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri (2020). "Draft Genome Sequences of Lactobacillales Isolated from the International Space Station". Microbiology Resource Announcements. 9 (39). doi:10.1128/mra.00942-20. PMC 7516158. PMID 32972947.
  39. ^ https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/9/Supplement_2/ofac492.400/6902236
  40. ^ https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/10/Supplement_2/ofad500.2445/7446768
  41. ^ O'Hara, Niamh B. (2020). "Next Generation Sequencing Reveals the Skin Microbiome". Skin Microbiome Handbook. pp. 261–275. doi:10.1002/9781119593058.ch13. ISBN 978-1-119-59223-5.
  42. ^ Ounit, R.; Mason, C.; Lonardi, S.; O'Hara, N. (2019). "A Metagenomic Analysis of Environmental and Clinical Samples Using a Secure Hybrid Cloud Solution". Journal of Biomolecular Techniques : JBT. 30 (Suppl): S2. PMC 6934070.
  43. ^ https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/5/suppl_1/S347/5207860<nowiki>
  44. ^ O'Hara, Niamh B. (2020). "Next Generation Sequencing Reveals the Skin Microbiome". Skin Microbiome Handbook. pp. 261–275. doi:10.1002/9781119593058.ch13. ISBN 978-1-119-59223-5.
  45. ^ "Congratulations, 2013 Graduate School Award Winners - SBU News". 24 May 2013.
  46. ^ "The Hive Program".
  47. ^ "Professor Prepares Students and Faculty for Research and Creative Arts Day". 22 April 2022.
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