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James Baker
Research Assistant Professor; Imaging Core Facility Manager |
36 Cox Science Center, Dept. of Biology
1301 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33124 |
(305) 284-6566
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| Education and Professional Experience |
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- 1986-1990, University of Iowa, Undergraduate research assistant|
- 1990-1998, Ph.D.Graduate student with J.W. Truman, University of Washington,
- 1998-2002, Postdoctoral fellow with M. Kernan, Stony Brook University,
- 2002-2007, Research associate, Stony Brook University
- 2007-present, Research Assistant Professor, and Imaging Core Facility Manger, University of Miami Biology Deparmtne
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| Awards |
- 1989, Sigma Xi research award
- 1990, Honors in Biology
- 1990, Robbie Prize for Outstanding Graduating Biology Major
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| Grants |
- NIH NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship (NIH) 1991-94
- NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship 1999-2001
- Carol Baldwin Breast Cancer research grant (co-PI with M. Kernan) 2004-06
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| Area of Focus |
| Cell Biology |
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| Research Interests |
| I study the mechanisms that regulate and underlie ciliary development in animals (Drosophila in particular). While cilia are ubiquitous on animal cells and intriguing for their fantastic ultrastructure, they have only recently been recognized as having fundamental roles in development and human disease. In my lab we seek to understand one of the earliest steps in cilia formation, how the centrioles, a component of the microtubule-nucleating centrosome, are respecified to initiate cilia formation. Recently I have been pursuing the function of kokopelli, a novel cyclin isolated using a yeast 2-hybrid protein interaction screen for proteins involved in altering centrioles to produce ciliogenic basal bodies. |
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| Teaching Interests |
| As an educator I strive to tie the subject of any given lecture to points of relevance to the student body, whether these are stories drawn from current events, examples from human disease or trends likely to impact students in the future. I also use small group interactions to promote discussion and questions even in lecture hall settings. My role as instructor is to make students active participants in the lecture hall, laboratory and their own education.. |
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| Publications |
- Baker, J.D. , Kernan, M. (in prep). Kokopelli, a novel cyclin required for germ-line stem cell renewal.
- Baker, J.D., Adhikarakunnathu, S.D., and Kernan, M. (2004). Mechanosensory-defective, male-sterile unc mutants identify a novel basal body protein required for ciliogenesis in Drosophila. Development 131:3411-3422.
- Martinez-Campos, M., Basto, R., Baker, J., Kernan, M., Raff, J.W. (2004). The Drosophila pericentrin-like protein is essential for cilia/flagella function, but appears to be dispensable for mitosis. J. Cell Biol. 165:67-83.
- Baker, J.D. and Truman, J.W. (2002) Mutations in the Drosophila glycoprotein hormone receptor, rickets, eliminate neuropeptide-induced tanning and selectively block a stereotyped behavioral program. J. Exp. Biol. 205: 2555-2565.
- Baker, J.D., McNabb, S.L. and Truman, J.W. (1999) The hormonal coordination of behavior and physiology at adult ecdysis in Drosophila melanogaster. J. Exp. Biol. 202: 3037-3048.
- McNabb, S.L., Baker, J.D., Agapite, J., Steller, H., Riddiford, L.M., and Truman, J.W. (1997) Disruption of a behavioral sequence by targeted death of peptidergic neurons in Drosophila. Neuron 19(4):813-823.
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