About me

I’m a Biologist who graduated from Universidad de Antioquia in Medellin, Colombia. My research training began at the Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, studying the largest kindred with a familiar for of Alzheimer’s Disease. Combining bioinformatics and molecular biology I designed artificial microRNAs to knock-down GSK3β and evaluate their therapeutical potential for Alzheimer’s Disease. I obtained my Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences from The Ohio State University. During my Doctoral studies, I identified transcriptional changes in the mouse Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) that modulate circadian rhythms. In addition, I studied the effects of circadian rhythms on cognitive processes mediated by the mouse hippocampus. After obtaining my PhD, I conducted studies that clarified morphological and physiological changes in the mouse brainstem associated with mutations in the Phox2b gene that cause Central Congenital Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS).

In 2019 I joined the Nano Medicine Laboratory where I’m focused in the development of novel nanotechnology-driven cell and gene therapies for Alzheimer’s Disease. I have extensive experience in cellular and molecular neuroscience and the use of advanced transgenic mouse models for the study of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. I also have broad experience in the analysis of microarray and next-generation sequencing technologies for transcriptome analysis. My long-term goal is to develop a new research program to utilize nanotechnology for the development of cell and gene therapies to increase human health span and reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases.