I’m Nicole Jimenez a Obstetrics/Gynecology Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix. I currently work in Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz's lab and have been using both my passion for advocacy work and science to assist with my research on the human microbiome reproductive health.

Check out our projects here: https://herbstkralovetzlab.weebly.com

Just a few of the on-going projects

• Endometiral Cancer and the Gut,Vaginal and Endometerial Microbiome
• Quality of Life and Symptomology amongst Patients with Endometrial Cancer versus Benign Uterine Conditions
• Chronic Pelvic Pain, Endometriosis, and the Gut and Vaginal Microbiome
• Immunometabolic Contributions of Vaginal lactobaciilus species in 3D Cervical Epithelial Cell Model
• Adenomyosis, Microbiome, and Quality of Life
• Cervical Cancer, HPV and Cervicovaginal Microbiome amongst Latinx Communities

I am currently facilitating research investigating the cervicovaginal microbiome and its role in endometrial cancer and gynecologic conditions like endometriosis. Specifically, I am utilizing my skills in microbiome analysis, microbial genomics, computational biology to better understand potential oncogenic bacteria and beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and their contributions to the cervicovaginal microenvironment in health and disease.

Figure 1. Hypothetical model of mechanisms employed by cervicovaginal bacteria, including Atopobium/Fannyhessea, leading to gynecologic cancer development and progression. A healthy cervicovaginal microbiome is associated with Lactobacillus-dominance and low pH (left). Dysbiotic cervicovaginal microbiomes are associated with high pH, diverse anaerobic species such as Atopobium/Fannyhessea species, and hallmarks of cancer. Figure adapted from Laniewski et al, 2020.

In addition, our lab’s societal goals of expediting the research pipeline from bench to bedside tries to focus on health disparities within gynecologic conditions in context to Arizona’s diverse populations with many studies focusing on the Hispanic/Latinx, Native American, Aging communities.

I am delighted to be part of Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz’s lab as we are currently using multi-omic approaches with immunoproteomics, metabolomics, and genomics in conjunction with the lab’s 3-D human cell models and large clinical studies to set the foundation for creation of innovative microbial biomarker diagnostics.

Laniewski et al, 2021

I was recently awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (see article here) to begin work on studying three novel bacteria that were recently classified as Atopobium vaginae, a key vaginal bacteria linked to the most common vaginal disorder bacterial vaginosis, that has also recently been associated with cervical and endometrial cancers. We hypothesize that there are different cancer-causing contributions amongst these three novel vaginal bacteria.

Prior to joining the Wildcats, my Ph.D. work was centered on research working with VCU’s Vaginal Microbiome Consortium (VMC). This work encompassed comparative genomics of cervicovaginal bacteria especially Bifidobacterium species, understanding correlations between the cervicovaginal microbiome in reproductive health and disease, as well as maternal-infant microbial transmission and toddler health progression. In undergrad at Arizona State University, I was involved with both anthropology and ecology which has helped bring a different perspective to my human microbiome research.

While much of my time is dedicated to my research, I also heavily advocate for science, STEM education, diversity, and mental health and well-being for the community 🌏. These outside activities have taught me the importance of inclusivity in research and dissemination of science to the public.

• 👀 Scientific Interests: Evolution, Ecology, biological complexity, microbiology, multi-omics, and DEI research

• 😹 I find time to unwind by playing intramural sports like dodgeball, hiking, crafting cocktails, cooking, reading, and being a cat mom.

• 🌱 I’m currently a part of the Data Science Fellowship at University of Arizona where I hope to learn about Data management, Open Science techniques and tools, how to more efficiently write code and share code, and also finding a data science community as a clinical translational researcher!

• 👍 Are you looking to collaborate? are you interested in the microbiome? Reach out! Microbiome can intersect with many fields!

• 📫 How to reach me: nicolejimenez@arizona.edu , https://www.instagram.com/prettyfly4asci , https://mobile.twitter.com/scientistnicole