Sra Norida Vélez
About me
I am a committed, curious, and enthusiastic person with a strong passion for continuous learning. I am characterized by my discipline, responsibility, and sense of service, particularly in activities related to science, education, and community engagement. I enjoy working collaboratively, embracing new challenges, and contributing through my experience to the well-being of others and the care of the environment.
Norida Vélez is a biologist from Universidad INCCA de Colombia, holds a Master’s degree in Epidemiology from Universidad El Bosque, and a PhD in Biological Sciences from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, with a dual PhD in Microbiology and Parasitology from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Her research focuses on environmental microbiology and public health, particularly on the characterization of pathogenic microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance in environmental matrices, as well as occupational and environmental health. She is currently conducting research on the presence of pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial resistance in domestic wastewater in Villavicencio, Colombia, and is involved in projects addressing occupational health in former open-pit coal mine workers. She has experience in microbiological and molecular techniques, epidemiological analysis, and scientific dissemination, and has collaborated with institutions such as Universidad de los Llanos and the Colombian National Institute of Health.
2. Patiño LH, Muñoz M, Ramírez AL, Vélez N, Escandón P, Parra-Giraldo CM, Ramírez JD. A Landscape of the Genomic Structure of Cryptococcus neoformans in Colombian Isolates. J Fungi (Basel). 2023 Jan 18;9(2):135. doi: 10.3390/jof9020135. PMID: 36836249; PMCID: PMC9959405.
3. Vélez N, Vega- Vega N, Gomez P, Escandón P, et al. Deciphering the Association among Pathogenicity, Production and Polymorphisms of Capsule/Melanin in Clinical Isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii VNI. J Fungi 2022;8:245.
4. Vélez N, Monteoliva L, Sánchez A, Amador A, et al. The Combination of Iron and Copper Increases Pathogenicity and Induces Proteins Related to the Main Virulence Factors in Clinical Isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii. J Fungi 2022;8:57
5. Ceballos A, Amado D, Vélez N, Jimenez-A MJ, Rodriguez C, Parra G CM. Development and validation of an in-house library of Colombian Candida auris strains with MALDI-TOF MS to improve yeast identification. J. Fungi 2020, 6(2):72.
6. Armstrong, Rivera S, Escandon P, Caceres D, Chow N, Vélez N, et al. Hospital-Associated Multicenter Outbreak of Emerging Fungus Candida auris, Colombia, 2016. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2019; 25 (7):1339-46
7. Vélez N, Alvarado M, Parra-Giraldo CM, Sánchez-Quitian ZA, Escandón P, Castañeda E. Genotypic Diversity Is Independent of Pathogenicity in Colombian Strains of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii in Galleria mellonella. J Fungi (Basel). 2018 5;4(3)
8. Instituto de Evaluación Tecnológica en Salud - IETS Cordianadora metodológica Guía de práctica clínica, Transfusión de Sangre y de sus componentes (adopción) sistema general de seguridad social en salud Colombia 2017. Disponible en: Ministerio de Salud.
http://gpc.minsalud.gov.co/gpc_sites/Repositorio/Otros_conv/GPC_para_uso_componentes_san guineos/gpc_home_micrositio.aspx
9. Vélez N, Escandón P. Report on novel environmental niches for Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii in Colombia: Tabebuia guayacan and Roystonea regia. Med Mycol. 2017 Jan 23. pii: myw138. doi: 10.1093/mmy/myw138.
10. Moreno-C H, Vélez N, Caicedo M, Triana M, Sánchez A. Characterization of Eyeball Loss in Four
Cities of Colombia. Cureus. 2017; 9(9): e1677.
11. Pérez Felipe, Avila Oscar, Velez Norida, Escandón Patricia. Criptococcosis in Dogs: A Case Report in a Labrador retriever in Bogotá, Colombia. J Medical Mycology 2015. 1:14; 1-5
12. Mak S, Vélez N, Castañeda E, Escandó P and Colombian Environmental Study Group. The Fungus among Us: Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii Ecological Modeling for Colombia. J. Fungi 2015, 1, 332-344; doi:10.3390/jof1030332
13. Vélez N, Díaz P, Realpe M, Rodríguez k, Montaño A, Bautista A. Caracterización molecular de aislamientos de Shigella sonnei en Colombia. Rev: Biomédica septiembre 2015; 35 (3).