What I do:

My overall objective as an independent researcher is to establish whether dysregulated translation and turnover of specific host mRNAs contributes to the pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis and leishmaniasis, two infections of major clinical relevance that are caused by the protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and Leishmania spp., respectively. In parallel, I utilize different stressors to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of translational control underlying macrophage functions. To achieve my research objectives, I have implemented a cutting-edge and dynamic research program that combines semi-high throughput drug screenings, cellular models of infection in primary cells, reverse and forwards genetics, in vivo models of infection using transgenic mice, multi-omics approaches, image flow cytometry, and field parasite isolates and mutant strains. Our long-term goal is to validate the use of translatome-based approaches to uncover novel targets and regulators of mRNA translation with potential applications, such as the identification of biomarkers of disease severity, and promising candidates for therapeutic treatments to combat morbidity and mortality associated with toxoplasmosis and leishmaniasis.

Ask me about:

Regulatory mechanisms of mRNA translation in innate immune cells, macrophage biology, molecular parasitology (Leishmania, Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium).

Why me:

My main research interest is to investigate the post-transcriptional mechanisms involved in the dysregulation of host gene expression during protozoan parasitic infections of clinical relevance; namely leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis, and malaria. My postdoctoral work provided the first evidence that the host mRNA translation machinery can be hijacked by a protozoan parasite (i.e., Leishmania) to survive and provided in vivo evidence that translational control (i.e., regulation of protein synthesis) plays a crucial role in the outcome of a parasitic infection (Jaramillo et al. Cell Host & Microbe 2011). These discoveries opened a new area of high importance for medical research and allowed me to build my own niche as an independent investigator. To the best of our knowledge, my team is the only one in Canada that is currently investigating how dysregulated host mRNA translation contributes to the pathogenesis of protozoan parasitic infections, and more specifically leishmaniasis and toxoplasmosis.

Fun facts:

I am particularly committed to strengthen the parasitology community in Canada. Initially, I served served as a member of the organizing committee of the Annual Montreal Parasitology Symposium (2020, 2022). Even though several provincial parasitology networks existed in our country, there was not a national initiative to promote collaborations, highly qualified personnel training, and build research capacity in parasitic infections and tropical medicine. To fill in this gap, I co-led the creation of the Canadian Parasitology Network (CPN). The response of the Canadian parasitology community has been overwhelming. CPN currently gathers more than 50 research laboratories and 250 student/trainees across the country. Within this framework, I spearheaded the implementation of a monthly CPN virtual seminar series and I led the organization of the fist annual CPN meeting in Montreal (2023), which was a great success and benefited from the support of the Infection and Immunity Institute (III) – CIHR Planning and Dissemination Grants initiative.

English proficiency: Read, Write, Speak

French proficiency: Read, Write, Speak

Other Language(s): Spanish

Willing to Mentor: Yes

Available for Trainees: Yes

Title: Dr.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Gender: Female

Awards: FRQS Junior 1, Junior 2, and Senior Salary Awards, March of Dimes Foundation USA Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Research Award