From the Lab to the Limelight - Blog version of our #TraineeTuesday Twitter series
This #TraineeTuesday, please welcome associate research scientist Erika Hoyos-Ramirez, PhD, who was recently named a Canaan-Yale fellow! This fellowship recruits distinguished trainees in the life sciences to work with Canaan Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm. Let's dive into her journey to becoming an entrepreneurial scientist.
To Erika, the most important aspect of her research is its translatability.
As an entrepreneurial scientist, I am fascinated by the process of developing biotech innovations into commercially viable products that will ultimately benefit patients.
Erika Hoyos-Ramirez, PhD
As a recipient of the NIH Research and Entrepreneurial Career Development Award, she is funded to pursue research with practical applications, and collaborate with academic and industry experts in the process.
Erika is currently investigating the molecular mechanisms that stabilize brain function. She ultimately hopes to use these mechanisms as novel therapeutic targets for conditions of the aging brain.
By revealing the molecular mechanisms that control how neurons communicate, we reveal therapeutic opportunities for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders that currently have no cure.
Erika Hoyos-Ramirez, PhD
Through the Yale Ventures fellowship, she will apply her expertise in biomedical research to the development of novel therapeutics. Her specific job is to assess investment opportunities for Canaan Partners' healthcare portfolio.
Originally from Colombia, Erika studied biology at the University of Antioquia and received her PhD in Biomedical Science from the University of Connecticut. In 2014, she started her postdoc at Yale, studying the molecular mechanism that regulates ionotropic synaptic receptors in the mammalian brain.
The depth and breadth of research expertise that one encounters at Yale is invaluable.
Erika Hoyos-Ramirez, PhD
Going forward, Erika plans to work on the development of novel drugs and therapeutics that improve human health. She is specifically interested in therapeutics that could improve cognitive function and prevent age-related cognitive decline.