Stephany Jaiquel Baron, PhD
Montreal,QC
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
8
8
years of post-secondary education
3
3
Languages
Work History
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Cambridge University
01.2022 - 01.2023
- I studied the kinetic properties of the human mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier using proteoliposomes and advanced transport robotics
- My findings reveal that the transporter operates via a ping-pong kinetic mechanism, where substrate exchange occurs consecutively rather than simultaneously (Cimadamore-Werthein et al., EMBO reports 2023)
- Additional collaborative projects have been successfully completed and published (Cimadamore-Werthein et al., EMBO 2024)
Joint PhD in Biochemistry
GlaxoSmithKline
01.2018 - 01.2022
- Company Overview: Investigative Preclinical Toxicity Department - Jon Lyon, Director
- I investigated the molecular mechanisms of medication-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, focusing on mitochondrial transport proteins as off-targets
- By overcoming technical challenges in the characterization of these complex membrane proteins, I identified strong inhibitors of mitochondrial substrate transport, enhancing our understanding of adverse drug effects, gaining new insights into the chemical compound features important for inhibition and informing future therapeutic strategies
- This project has been an industrial collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (UK)
- I successfully overexpressed and purified by affinity chromatography, for the first time, the functional and stable human mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier (AAC) and the human Citrate carrier (CIC) in S
- Cerevisiae (mg amounts) (Jaiquel Baron et al., Theranostics 2021)
- I developed model systems to assess drug-transporter interactions in high-throughput through thermostability assays and directly measured AAC and CIC inhibition using proteoliposomes and transport robotics
- I screened a GSK mitotoxic compound library and the gout medication Benzbromarone was shown to inhibit AAC and CIC with an IC50 of 8.4 μM and 12.5 μM respectively
- I discovered that the medication for Parkinson's disease Tolcapone inhibits CIC with an IC50 of 5 μM, three times more potent than its canonical inhibitor benzene tricarboxylic acid
- Investigative Preclinical Toxicity Department - Jon Lyon, Director
Research Assistant
MRC Clinical Science Centre, Imperial College London
01.2017 - 12.2017
- Company Overview: Laboratory of Redox Metabolism - Dr
- Helena Cochemé
- I continued working on my master's research project
- Laboratory of Redox Metabolism - Dr
- Helena Cochemé
Master's Research Project
MRC Clinical Science Centre, Imperial College London
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Company Overview: Laboratory of Redox Metabolism - Dr
- Helena Cochemé
- I discovered that the residual larval fat body in newly eclosed adult Drosophila melanogaster enhances oxidative stress resistance
- By genetically and pharmacologically modulating this tissue, I demonstrated that its persistence can either diminish or amplify this resistance
- I identified a key regulator of fat body persistence, linking it to lifespan extension
- Additionally, I started an RNAi screen to explore the underlying mechanisms, with promising preliminary findings
- Laboratory of Redox Metabolism - Dr
- Helena Cochemé
Education
MSc - Molecular Medicine
Imperial College London
01.2015 - 01.2016
BSc (Hons) - Genetics
Queen Mary University of London
01.2012 - 01.2015
PhD - Biochemistry
University of Cambridge
01.2018 - 01.2022
Skills
- Heterologous Expression of Functional Membrane Proteins in S cerevisiae
- Protein Purification - Column and Affinity Chromatography
- ELISA
- SDS-PAGE
- Western-blotting
- Bacterial and yeast transformation
- Molecular biology
- isolation and analysis of bacterial and yeast DNA
- Cloning
- PCR
- RT-PCR
- Radioactive uptake assays
- Fluorescence and Confocal Microscopy
- Cell Culture
- Seahorse XF
- NanoDFS
- Protein Crystallography
- Drosophila husbandry
- UAS/GAL4 system
- RNAi lines
- dissection
- Bioinformatics
- BLAST
- ClustalW
- PyMOL
- use of R
- GraphPad Prism
- MS Office Suite
Nationalities
- British
- Colombian
Personal Information
Work Permit: Canadian work permit
Research
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Cambridge University, UK, 08/01/22, 07/31/23, Prof. Dr. Edmund Kunji, Studied the kinetic properties of the human mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier using proteoliposomes and advanced transport robotics.
- Joint PhD in Biochemistry, Laboratory of Mitochondrial Transport Proteins, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, UK, 08/01/18, 07/31/22, Prof. Dr. Edmund Kunji / Jon Lyon, Investigated the molecular mechanisms of medication-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.
- Research Assistant, MRC Clinical Science Centre, Imperial College London, UK, 01/01/17, 12/31/17, Dr. Helena Cochemé, Continued working on master's research project.
- Master's Research Project, MRC Clinical Science Centre, Imperial College London, UK, 09/01/15, 08/31/16, Dr. Helena Cochemé, Discovered that the residual larval fat body in newly eclosed adult Drosophila melanogaster enhances oxidative stress resistance.
Publications
- Mitochondrial carriers function as monomers exchanging substrates with a ping-pong kinetic mechanism, Cimadamore-Werthein C, King MS, Lacabanne D, Pyrihová E, Jaiquel Baron S, Kunji ER, The EMBO Journal, 2024, 10.1038/s44318-024-00150-0
- Human mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier SLC25A4 operates with a ping-pong kinetic mechanism, Cimadamore-Werthein C
- Jaiquel Baron S
- King MS, Springett R, Kunji ER, EMBO Reports, 08/03/2023, 10.15252/embr.202357127
- Characterization of drug-induced human mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier inhibition, Jaiquel Baron S, King MS, Kunji ERS, Schirris TJJ, Theranostics, 2021, 11, 11, 5077-5091, 10.7150/thno.54936
Scholarshipsandawards
- 2018, Awarded the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Industrial Collaborative studentship to fund my PhD in partnership with GSK
- 2016, Awarded the highest grade (90%) of the MSc course for my research project (Imperial College London, 1ST Class Hons)
- 2012, Awarded the 'International Science and Engineering Undergraduate Excellence Award' (£5,000) for being the highest-achieving overseas applicant (Queen Mary University of London)
Training
- 2022, MBU annual symposium, poster
- 2019, International BMT Conference, poster
- 2018, The London fly meeting - The Francis Crick Institute, London, talk
Timeline
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Cambridge University
01.2022 - 01.2023
Joint PhD in Biochemistry
GlaxoSmithKline
01.2018 - 01.2022
PhD - Biochemistry
University of Cambridge
01.2018 - 01.2022
Research Assistant
MRC Clinical Science Centre, Imperial College London
01.2017 - 12.2017
Master's Research Project
MRC Clinical Science Centre, Imperial College London
01.2015 - 01.2016
MSc - Molecular Medicine
Imperial College London
01.2015 - 01.2016
BSc (Hons) - Genetics
Queen Mary University of London
01.2012 - 01.2015
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