Karina Calvopina

Karina Calvopina is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Oxford, affiliated with the Chris Schofield Group. Her research focuses on developing novel enzymatic inhibitors to combat antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration between chemistry, microbiology, and pharmacology.

• Education: Bachelor's in Biotechnology Engineering (5-year program) from the Army Polytechnic School, Ecuador; PhD in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the University of Bristol.

Her current work targets metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs), which degrade β-lactam antibiotics, through the European ENABLE (European Gram-negative Antibacterial Engine) project. She evaluates compound efficacy and enzyme-inhibitor interactions to guide chemical modifications for clinical trials. Previously, she studied antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in clinical isolates at Ecuador’s Molecular Diagnosis Laboratory while pursuing her undergraduate thesis.

Scientific awards include a fully funded PhD scholarship at the University of Bristol. Her research spans biochemical approaches to antibiotic preservation and bridges Oxford’s expertise in crystallography and enzymology with broader applications in human health and bacterial pathogenesis. Karina values the interdisciplinary and multicultural environment of her academic journey, which has shaped her scientific and personal growth.