Dr Lucia Barrera

Lucia Barrera is a Microbiologist who graduated from Buenos Aires University in 1979. Between 1980 and 1991 she received several fellowships and postgraduate training in mycobacteriology at the Pan American Zoonoses Center (PAHO/WHO, Buenos Aires, Argentina), the National Jewish Hospital and Research Center (Denver, USA), the Laboratory Center for Diseases Control (Ottawa, Canada), and the Research Tuberculosis Institute (Tokyo, Japan).

During 1982-2012 she managed the Mycobacteria Laboratory at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (National Institute of Microbiology "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Buenos Aires) which was selected as a WHO Supranational Reference Laboratory under her leadership. During these years she gained experience in TB reference laboratory services, development and implementation of programs for laboratory networking and strengthening, quality management, human resource development, and coordination of stakeholders to meet the challenges identified at the country and regional level.

At the same time, she participated in research mainly focused on antituberculosis drug resistance and new diagnostics evaluation and was co-author of 48 manuscripts published in referred journals.

Lucia Barrera has also been actively involved in the development of global and regional laboratory policy, norms and standards. During 2006-2013 she was a Member of the Global Laboratory Initiative’s Core Group and task force, coordinator of the Latin American Supranational Reference Laboratories Network, and Member of the regional Green Light Committee. She participated in 47 technical assistance and evaluation/monitoring missions conducted in 20 countries of the Americas. Nowadays she provides independent consultation to PAHO/WHO and is a Member of the Technical Advisory Group for TB convened by PAHO/WHO.