Pedro J. Torres, Ph.D.

Pedro J. Torres, Ph.D. has extensive experience in computational biology, bioinformatics, microbiome research, and data analysis. Pedro J. has held various positions in different organizations throughout their career.

Starting in 2022, Dr. Torres worked as a Senior Scientist in Computational Biology and Data Science at Persephone Biosciences. In this role, they spearheaded the development and implementation of network analysis, graph modeling, and machine learning techniques for biomarker selection and precision pre/probiotic design. Pedro J. also led the development of pangenomics analysis and tools for conducting comparative genomics analysis of bacterial strains.

Prior to that, from 2019 to 2022, Dr. Torres served as a Senior Bioinformatics Scientist and then as a Bioinformatics Scientist at Viome. During their time there, they developed innovative pipelines and algorithms for microbiome and human RNA sequencing analysis, contributing to the reduction of sequencing costs and increasing analysis speed. Pedro J. also played a crucial role in the design and implementation of a relational database to store customer and research sample information.

Before joining Viome, Dr. Torres worked as a Microbiome/Bioinformatics Intern at Zymo Research Corp from 2017 to 2019. In this role, they designed and developed a shotgun metagenomic pipeline and introduced novel techniques and statistical methodologies for microbiome analysis. Their pipeline was incorporated into the ZymoBIOMICS portfolio for customer use.

From 2015 to 2019, Dr. Torres pursued their Ph.D. at the University of California San Diego, investigating the dysregulation of the gut microbiome in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its association with the development of the PCOS metabolic phenotype.

During this time, they also worked as a Microbiome/Bioinformatics Consultant at Persephone Biome from 2017 to 2019, focusing on targeted microbiome therapeutics for human cancer. Their responsibilities included developing and implementing bioinformatics pipelines, providing guidance on experimental methodology, and designing novel approaches for data analysis.

As a Bioinformatics Teaching Associate at San Diego State University from 2015 to 2018, Dr. Torres instructed and assisted students in computational algorithms for biological research and programming languages such as Python, Unix, and R.

Dr. Torres held additional roles earlier in their career, including Research Associate II - Microbiology at Roka Bioscience, Masters Student and Microbiology Teaching Associate at San Diego State University, Lab Technician II at EMD Millipore, and Tutor at MiraCosta College.

Overall, Dr. Pedro J. Torres has a diverse background in computational biology, bioinformatics, and microbiome research. Their expertise includes the development of pipelines, algorithms, and databases, as well as statistical analysis and the application of machine learning techniques.

Pedro J. Torres, Ph.D. completed their education in a sequential manner. Pedro J. began their educational journey at MiraCosta College, where they attended from 2006 to 2009. Although no degree or field of study was specified, this served as a foundation for their further studies.

Pedro J. then pursued a Bachelor of Science in Biology at UC Santa Barbara, starting in 2009 and graduating in 2011. Building upon this undergraduate degree, Pedro went on to San Diego State University, where they earned their Master of Science in Microbiology. This academic pursuit spanned from 2012 to 2015.

Determined to further enhance their expertise, Pedro J. Torres attended UC San Diego from 2015 to 2019. It was during this time that they earned their highest academic degree, a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biology/Biological Sciences, General. Through their doctoral studies, Pedro explored and delved into their chosen field of study, solidifying their knowledge in this particular area.