Candice Baker, Ph.D.

About Candice N. Baker, Ph.D

As a research scientist at the Jackson Laboratory, I am working on the internationally recognized Knockout Mouse Project (KOMP). In particular, I am characterizing novel embryonic lethal strains to identify the timing and cause of lethality. From this set of novel strains, I plan to investigate a previously unknown gene to elucidate novel developmental mechanisms, with a focus on cardiovascular development. Complementing this effort and my interests, I am employing CRISPR technology to model human disease variants in the mouse, taking advantage of our embryonic phenotyping pipeline that includes high-resolution 3D imaging platforms.

I am also involved in a project investigating a unique model identified through an ENU mutagenesis screen that exhibits high triglycerides and that presents coincident resistance to diet-induced obesity. We are interested in uncovering the molecular mechanism and underlying genetic drivers responsible for this phenomenon. Currently, a candidate gene we are pursuing is known to be localized to the mitochondria, thus we are interrogating the role of mitochondria in metabolic function using this unique mouse model. We are performing full ex vivo mitochondrial functional analysis testing as well as an in vivo liver, kidney and cardiovascular workup. Another ENU mutant I am currently characterizing has heritable dilated cardiomyopathy and holds promise for contributing a new much-needed mouse model for this disorder.

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Grants, honors and accomplishments

Weinstein Cardiovascular Conference Travel Award (2014)

Graduate Research Excellence Award (2013)

Graduate Travel Fellowship Recipient (2013)

First Place Graduate Research Forum (2012)

Graduate Provost Fellowship Recipient (2010-2011)

Graduate Travel Fellowship Recipient (2012)

Search MagazineJune 18, 2019
Connected through Science
When Isabelle Chen, a senior at The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Conn., met Ann Bresnahan ‘69 during a science alumnae panel discussion at Bresnahan’s 50-year high school reunion, the two knew that they shared a passion for science.
Search MagazineMay 22, 2019
JAX scientists speak out on the crisis of opioid addiction
JAX scientists are intensifying their efforts to shed light on the genetic and neurobiological causes of addiction, along with the impact of environmental influences.
Press ReleaseApril 16, 2019
A thorough characterization of structural variants in human genomes
A recent study used multiple advanced technologies to dive deeper into the human genome than ever before to comprehensively characterize the structural variants present in three families, and what their functional consequences might be.
Research HighlightMarch 12, 2019
A closer look at structural variants in the genome
A recent Cell paper uses long-read DNA sequencing and other advanced genomics tools and methods to shed light on genomic structural variants.

Tech CornerJune 17, 2019
The genome of Eve (the mouse)
C57BL/6—aka Black 6—is the most widely used mouse strain in research. Its reference genome was published in 2003 and has been carefully curated over the years since.
Research HighlightMay 20, 2019
Revealing cellular traits, one cell at a time
Scientists have developed an expanded toolkit that enables investigations of cellular traits at the single cell level at an unprecedented level of detail.
Research HighlightApril 11, 2019
Mechanisms of sound perception
A new paper in PNAS offers new insights into the proteins that influence our ability to perceive sound direction and intensity.
Research HighlightMarch 08, 2019
Long-range connectivity and gene regulation networks
A complicated three-dimensional network involving proteins and specific DNA sequences helps regulate the expression of genes. New work led by JAX’s Chia-Lin Wei shows how one protein, SOX2, plays a significant role in neural stem cells, affecting many aspects of development and function.