Agnes Acevedo-Canabal, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate at Scripps Research
Molecular and in vivo pharmacologist working in characterizing new drugs targeting GPCRs to treat diseases.
I am a postdoc in the Bohn Lab at Scripps Research (Florida) and F32 fellow from NIDA with a passion to improve people’s quality of life through science.  I do pre-clinical research towards drug development of novel G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) ligands. My goals are to conduct research under the highest ethical standards and to provide pharmacological insight to treat diseases targeting GPCRs, currently focused in opioid receptors. In the Bohn lab, I do in vitro and in vivo characterization of novel opioids to provide safer pain treatments. In my work I emphasize  communication and  collaborative research by promoting ideas and teamwork in every project that I work on. 

Specialties: molecular cell biology, cell signaling, molecular pharmacology, in vivo pharmacology, biochemistry, GPCR pharmacology, high-throughput screening, microscopy, TIRF-microscopy, CRISPR/Cas 9 site-directed mutagenesis, behavioral pharmacology, neuropharmacology, neuroscience, neurobiology. 

Hobbies: soccer, exercising, hiking, science communication, outreach, cinema, photography, theater, and art.
Scripps Research
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-scripps-research-institute
My work at Scripps Research focuses on characterizing novel ligands targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) aiming at improving people's quality of life. I perform molecular and in vivo pharmacology to define signaling profiles and behavioral responses upon the receptor's activation. 

My current project focuses on identifying pharmacological interactions at the Mu opioid receptor (MOR) in vivo and in cell-based assays to understand the mechanism of action (MOA) of new therapeutics. The purpose of my studies is of pre-clinical and has great translational value for the development of safer pain treatment.

In the first two years, I have been actively participating in national meetings including the Molecular Pharmacology GRC/GRS and the ACNP meeting. I've contributed to a published manuscript and a published review paper. Currently, I am working on a first-author paper and contributing to an additional manuscript.
Jupiter, Florida, United States
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Postdoctoral Research Associate
Universidad de Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences Campus
https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-puerto-rico
For the second half of my graduate training, I wanted to study GPCR function in vivo while also training to use state-of-the-art molecular technology. To do so, I was able to start a collaboration between the Yudowski lab (specializing in cannabinoid receptors) and the Behra lab (specialized in utilizing zebrafish larvae as a tool). I developed and characterized cannabinoid cnr2 null zebrafish using CRISPR/Cas9 engineering to study the role of the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) in anxiety-like behaviors in larvae. In order to establish a clean zebrafish line, I did DNA extractions to amplify the region of interest using PCR and do sequencing. The null mutation was characterized by measuring the absence of CB2 expression via Western Blots. Larval zebrafish allowed us for high-throughput behavioral screening for the specificity of classical cannabinoid drugs in vivo. 

Results from this project were published and I presented my work at local, national, and international meetings.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Graduate Student
University of Puerto Rico - Institute of Neurobiology
During the first two years and a half of my graduate training, I joined the Yudowski lab. The lab specialized in studying how drugs affected the dynamic process of a GPCR, looking at receptor internalization and recycling from and to the cell membrane. My training here focused on assessing how different ligands affected GPCR trafficking at the plasma membrane of cells and neuronal cultures using total internal reflection microscopy (TIRF-m). I performed bacterial cloning, I learned to isolate plasmid DNA from bacteria, to maintain human embryonic kidney cells and to develop stable cell lines to over-express GPCR and other proteins of interest. I was interested in understanding how trafficking modulates receptor signaling, I performed biochemistry experiments to measure the phosphorylation of downstream effector proteins following drug activation of the receptor. I contributed to publishing a manuscript and a book chapter. I also presented my work at local and national meetings.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Graduate Student
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-puerto-rico-mayaguez
I was awarded a fellowship in the BioMinds program. This was my first research experience and I worked with Dr. Carlos Rodríguez-Minguela in a Microbiology project to understand the mechanism by which bacteria acquired antibiotic resistance. I gained hands-on and phylogenetic experience in Microbiology. As part of the program, I created a scientific blog and presented my results at local meetings in 2008. This research opportunity was my introduction to molecular biology which led me to switch majors (and campus) in 2009 from Industrial Biotechnology to Molecular Cell Biology at the UPR-Rio Piedras.
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
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Undergraduate Research Fellow
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
Neurobiology and Anatomy
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Universidad de Puerto Rico - School of Medicine
https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-puerto-rico/
Bachelor of Science - BS
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
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University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-puerto-rico-rio-piedras/
Biotechnology
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University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
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Network for Women in Science
Member
Toward Directing Opioid Receptor Signaling to Refine Opioid Therapeutics
Biological Psychiatry
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31806082
A G protein-stabilizing agonist at the mu opioid receptor reverses morphine tolerance while preventing morphine withdrawal
Neuropsychopharmacology
Altered Swimming Behaviors in Zebrafish Larvae Lacking Cannabinoid Receptor 2
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
Alterations of Larval Photo-Dependent Swimming Responses: New Endpoints for Rapid and Diagnostic Screening of Aquatic Contamination
Ecotoxicological Environmental Safety
Imaging GPCRs trafficking and signaling with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy in cultured neurons.
Methods in Cell Biology
Imaging of kiss-and-run exocytosis of surface receptors in neuronal cultures
Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
Pharmacological interactions between conventional and biased MOR ligands.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellow (Parent F32)
Gordon Conference
Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority (CSURM) Fellowship on Molecular Pharmacology.
University of Puerto Rido Medical Sciences Campus
José del Castillo Nicolau Medal
Deanship of Biomedical Sciences
Magna Cum Laude
Animal Behavior Society (ABS)
Animal Behavior Society (ABS) Graduate Student Grant
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
ASBMB Hurricanes Irma and Maria Relief Grant
Deanship of Biomedical Sciences
NIGMS-RISE Fellowship
The University of Vermont
I-TREP Biomedical Entrepreneurship Summer Course Fellowship
International Cannabinoid Research Society
International Cannabinoid Research Society Travel Award
Marine Biological Laboratories
Summer Program in Neuroscience, Ethics, & Survival (SPINES) Fellow
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus
BioMinds Research Fellow
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus
ASEE SMART Scholarship
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fani-pantouli-phd
Jupiter, FL
Fani Pantouli
Pharmacology/ Neuroscience/ Research Associate at The Scripps Research Institute
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Brooklyn, NY
Stephanny Acevedo
Emergency Medicine Attending at New York-Presbyterian Hospital
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Yauco
Jose R. Velez Ovalles
Senior Biologics Production Supervisor at AbbVie
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Puerto Rico
Bianca N. Valdés Fernández, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher at Universidad de Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico
Yamil Misla
Real estate, Hotel investment and development / Renewable energy
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Jupiter, FL
Sumitha Rajendra Rao
Postdoctoral Research Associate at Scripps Research
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Jupiter, FL
Alexander Amatuni
PhD Candidate at Scripps Research
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Jupiter, FL
Kuang-Ting (Tony) Kuo
The Scripps Research Institute - Florida campus Graduate Student
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Puerto Rico
James Bryan
Assistant Professor at University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
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San Juan
Fabiola Cruz López, PhD, MPH
Scientist, Epidemiologist & MD Candidate 2024
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguelrodriguezreyes
Indianapolis, IN
Miguel G. Rodríguez-Reyes
Scientist at Eli Lilly and Company | Industrial Biotechnologist
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Toa Alta
Joseline Serrano
PhD Candidate | Biochemistry | University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
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Anasco
Nelson G. Castillo Rivera, MD, MPH
PM&R Resident Physician at VA Caribbean Healthcare System
https://bh.linkedin.com/in/sreekumar-gangadharan-422b2a149
Manama
Sreekumar Gangadharan
Senior Executive at yk almoayyed & marketing & estimation
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Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Sreekumar Gangadharan
Doheny Eye Institute
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-brophy-443a665b
Stanford, CA
Jennifer Brophy
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering
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SIP - “Societal Impact of Pain”
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SACNAS - Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science
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American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
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ASPET Division for Molecular Pharmacology
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Scripps Postdoc Network
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American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
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