About

Following fascinating biochemistry with impact in human health

Starting as a Biologist with a Master’s Degree in Cell Biology in the Parasite Enzymology Laboratory under the coordination of Juan Luis Concepción, I was captivated by the Kinetoplastids as models for studying metabolism, enzyme kinetics, host-parasite interactions and drug development. I got deeply engaged in my research partly due to my interaction with patients suffering from Chagas while involved in diagnosis efforts for this terrible disease. I fulfilled diverse roles in research and teaching in Biochemistry and Enzymology during my time in the Universidad de Los Andes (ULA).

As a Fulbright Scholar, I pursued a PhD in Biochemistry under the supervision of Wim Hol at University of Washington (UW) working on Structure Guided Drug Development (SGDD) against protein targets of protozoa, specially trypanosomaitds, and bacteria causing Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). During my graduate studies I was lucky to work in productive and gratifying collaborations with a diverse group of experts from UW and abroad.

Newly trained as a crystallographer, I discovered the power of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and how it was changing the world of SGDD. I decided to learn cryo-EM of membrane proteins convinced that the technique could help me later in understanding the fascinating biology of important human parasites and, significantly, in advancing exciting SGDD projects against NTDs.

During my postdoctoral training in cryo-EM under the supervision of Georgios Skiniotis at Stanford University, I have been involved in challenging projects on biochemistry and structural biology of various G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). My ongoing training has broaden my skills with a diversity of cutting-edge techniques in protein biophysics and with invaluable collaborations with leading experts through interdisciplinary SGDD projects targeting important receptors with immense impact in human health. I feel fortunate to be part of an incredible team in such an inspiring environment.