Iron Francisco de Paula Junior
Personal Information
Birth information: 13/12/1982 - rio de janeiro/RJ - Brazil
Residential Address: rua sultana, 65, vila da penha - Rio de Janeiro
Cel Phone: -
e-Mail:-Education
2013-Today
PhD in Biochemistry, (Expected graduation, September 2017).
UFRJ, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM)
Advisor: Katia Calp Gondim (PEW Fellow)
Scholarship: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
- Second in command in the lab, oversaw budgets, equipment and students
- Developed a new method to measure lipid oxidation (breakdown of fats in the
mitochondria to release energy)
- Presented my own thesis results orally in three international conferences: FASEB
(2014), SBBq (2015), International Congress of Entomology (2016)
- Took courses on project management, entrepreneurship and joined the Consulting
Club to better prepare for my future role as consultant.
2011 - 2013
Masters in Biochemistry, UFRJ, (IBqM).
Title: Study of the Beta oxidative metabolism of Rhodnius prolixus.
Advisor: Katia Calp Gondim (PEW Fellow)
Scholarship: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
- Analyzed several GBs of genomic and transcriptomic data
- Part of my data integrated the publication of the genome of Rhodnius prolixus, a
much celebrated publication of IBqM at PNAs
- Training in Statistics, Ethics, and Data Analysis.
2007 - 2011
Graduation in Biomedicina, UFRJ.
Title: Study of the Intestinal Triacylglycerol Lipases in Rhodnius prolixus.
Advisor: Katia Calp Gondim (PEW Fellow)
Scholarship: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
Experience and Voluntary work
Research (2008-Today):
- Published eight papers in prestigious journals like the journal of biological chemistry,
PNAs, and Oncogene from the Nature group.
- Modified successfully an existing lipid oxidation assay, which resulted in
strengthening the impact of two publications
- Trained seven undergrads at least, and one defended a monograph in 2017 that is a
direct offshoot of my own thesis work, in which I’m a co-advisor.
I was awarded scholarships all those years in the lab due to my dedication, knowledge
and helpful attitude.
Student’s Representative at IBqM de Meis -):
- Student’s representative in a political commission to deliberate institutional matters,
with equal vote.
- Participated in three judging boards of new candidates to the MsC or PhD programs.
- Helped shift voting to maintain a set of critical fundamental disciplines in the program.
Administrator of the Rhodnius prolixus colony (2015-Today):
- Current administrator of the largest colony in the world of Rhodnius prolixus, the bug
vector of tropical tripanossomiasis
- I manage a small team of two and manage the monthly distribution of 1000+ insects
to the 10+ research groups (each with approximately 10 students/researchers) that use
this insect as an experimental model.
- I took the position in the midst of a huge crisis, was actively involved in the planning
and execution of staff and management changes, and in the rethinking of the usage of
the colony to ensure its sustainability. We succeeded and the colony is on its way to full
recovery.
Publications
1. Hyperglycemia exacerbates colon cancer malignancy through hexosamine
biosynthetic pathway. Oncogenesis. 2017
2. H+-dependent inorganic phosphate uptake in Trypanosoma brucei is
influenced by myo-inositol transporter. J Bioenerg Biomembr. 2017.
3. Deficiency of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 1 decreases triacylglycerol
storage and induces fatty acid oxidation in insect fat body. Biochim Biophys Acta.
2017.
4. Lipid metabolism in Rhodnius prolixus: Lessons from the genome. Gene.
2017.
5. Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition Induces Aberrant Glycosylation through
Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway Activation. J Biol Chem. 2016.
6. Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 2 knockdown leads to decreased fatty acid
oxidation in fat body and reduced reproductive capacity in the insect Rhodnius
prolixus..Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016.
7. Genome of Rhodnius prolixus, an insect vector of Chagas disease, reveals
unique adaptations to hematophagy and parasite infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S
A. 2015.
8. Adipokinetic hormone receptor gene identification and its role in
triacylglycerol metabolism in the blood-sucking insect Rhodnius prolixus. Insect
Biochem Mol Biol. 2016.
