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)

Research HighlightDecember 11, 2018
The unexpected advantages of outbred mice in research
Recently developed outbred mouse populations, such as the diversity outbred (DO) mice at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), have created research options that parallel or even exceed human genetic diversity. Research with DO mice offers a full range of genetic diversity, and therefore more generalizability of responses across populations.
Blog PostOctober 31, 2018
Can we do a better job of preserving fertility and ovarian function for young breast cancer survivors?
Young women with a new cancer diagnosis are faced with a number of challenges. These patients (and their providers) are often anxious to begin treatment right away. The problem is that many young women haven’t started or completed their families at the time of their diagnosis.
Search MagazineOctober 09, 2018
Of mighty mice and men
Pioneering scientist Se-Jin Lee, a leader in the study of muscle development, moves his groundbreaking research program to JAX.
Press ReleaseOctober 02, 2018
Addiction: The microbiome link
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has made a $4M grant to JAX scientists to explore the roles of the microbiome and genetics in substance use disorders.

Blog PostDecember 11, 2018
Nesting dolls and Narnia
If movies were true to real life, matryoshka dolls would provide a good analogy for genomics research.
Tech CornerOctober 11, 2018
Precision medicine and making sense of data
JAX professor calls for concerted effort to align data across patients and systems with comparable and consistent formats and contextual meaning.
Press ReleaseOctober 09, 2018
Advancing therapeutic gene editing
NIH awards $3.5M to JAX under multi-institution Somatic Cell Genome Editing program.
Research HighlightSeptember 11, 2018
Exploring zinc finger proteins
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences has awarded Petko Petkov a four-year grant totaling $1,385,337 to exploit the new methods he has developed to profile and investigate zinc finger proteins and their binding sites.