03/04/2026
Carolina Medina-Gomez - Bone Group
Dr. Carolina Medina-Gomez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, at Erasmus MC. With a background spanning chemical engineering, microbiology, and biostatistics, she brings a uniquely multidisciplinary perspective to complex biological questions.
After completing her BSc in Chemical Engineering and Microbiology in Colombia and MSc in Biostatistics at Hasselt University, Carolina pursued dual Master's and PhD training in Genetic Epidemiology at Erasmus MC Rotterdam. Her dissertation, "Disentangling the Heterogeneity of Bone Accrual," was awarded Best Thesis (2014-2016) by the Dutch Society of Bone and Mineral Research. She has received multiple international recognitions from the European Calcified Tissue Society, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, and International Conference on Children's Bone Health.
Carolina and other collaborators established microbiome research at Erasmus MC by generating comprehensive datasets for the Rotterdam Study and Generation R cohorts. Her work has shown how gut microbiota influences musculoskeletal health, and the relation of microbiome profiles with metabolic diseases across the lifespan. She is also involved in initiatives analyzing samples from multiple body sites within Erasmus MC.
As principal genetic data analyst for Erasmus MC's flagship cohorts, Carolina has contributed to the identification of over 150 genetic loci influencing bone density, body composition, and metabolic traits. This work extends through major international consortia (GIANT, CHARGE, GLGC, GEFOS), where she has co-authored high-impact meta-analyses and applied analytical frameworks including those for admixed populations.
Carolina's research leverages large-scale biobank data (UK Biobank, LifeLines, All of Us) and benefits from collaborations with international research centers. She was also part of the research team developing the Musculoskeletal Knowledge Portal (https://msk.hugeamp.org/), providing the musculoskeletal research community with integrated -omics data mining capabilities. She supervises doctoral and master's students and coordinates graduate courses in genetics and microbiome research at Erasmus Postgraduate School, training the next generation of researchers in multi-omics approaches to complex traits.
Links:
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7999-5538
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carolina-Medina-Gomez-2