Pere-Joan Cardona

Pere-Joan Cardona serves as the Chief of the Microbiology Department at the “Germans Trias i Pujol” Hospital, which is part of the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS). He also holds the position of Professor at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. With over 25 years of experience, he is a clinical microbiologist dedicated to unravelling the mechanisms underlying latent tuberculosis infection and the transition to active TB.
To advance his research efforts, Pere-Joan Cardona founded the Experimental Tuberculosis Unit at the Institute Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP). His work has been instrumental in developing innovative “in vivo” and “in silico” experimental models, making substantial contributions to the field. Notably, his research resulted in the creation of the RUTI therapeutic vaccine and the exploration of host-directed therapies for tackling TB. Additionally, Pere-Joan Cardona has delved into the immunomodulatory properties of environmental mycobacteria, with the goal of harmonizing immune responses to combat various diseases.
Pere-Joan Cardona possesses extensive expertise in leading clinical trials aimed at developing novel diagnostic, prophylactic, and therapeutic tools for tuberculosis. His active collaboration with international consortiums dedicated to TB research underscores his dedication to advancing our understanding of this global health issue.
Once appointed as Chief of the Department, Pere-Joan Cardona has added some other interests in his focus. On one hand the use of NSG, for a molecular epidemiology program aimed to curtail the dissemination of M. tuberculosis clusters in Catalonia, that is funded and part of the Catalan Public Health Agency; the amplification of 16S for complex clinical samples and the characterization of the gut microbiota in different pathologies. He is also very interested in refining better tools for STD screening in general and high-risk populations. Finally, he is extending the experimental infection model in Drosophila to other pathogens, such us Enterococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, to better understand the host-pathogen interface.