CAMILO ROJAS, PhD - Hopkins Medicine



CAMILO ROJAS, Ph.D.

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1204 Roundhill Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21218 (443) 801-0592 (c)

(410) 662-7435 (h)

BIOCHEMIST

Drug Discovery … Management

PROFILE

Research scientist with a proven ability to bring projects forward. Skilled in biology and chemistry with a thorough understanding of experimental procedures. Co-author of scientific articles with strong teaching skills. Three years experience as postdoctoral fellow in academic laboratories and over fifteen years experience in the pharmaceutical industry.

EXPERTISE

• Manager of biochemistry laboratory responsible for assay development, primary screens, mechanistic studies at the cell and molecular levels and pharmacodynamic marker assay development. Over fifteen years supervisory experience.

• Project leader for preclinical pharmaceutical discovery projects. Coordinated interdepartmental efforts and chaired progress meetings. Coordinated projects through target proposal, assay development, high throughput screening, lead nomination and lead optimization.

• Extensive experience in oral presentations, writing research grant proposals that achieved funding and writing scientific reports and publications.

• Kinetic studies of numerous enzymes which include flavoproteins, lipases, cholesteryl ester hydrolase, lipoxygenase, dehyrocholesterol reductase, serine racemase, glutamate carboxypeptidase II, dipepitdyl peptidase IV, and cyclophilin.

• Receptor pharmacology including mode of binding, functional assays, receptor internalization and receptor crosstalk to elucidate mechanism of action.

• Research mentor to undergraduate pharmacology students and student interns. Teaching assistant and laboratory instructor of general chemistry and biochemistry. Tutor in organic chemistry.

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

2009 to present JOHNS HOPKINS BRAIN SCIENCE INSTITUTE (Baltimore, Maryland)

Director, Assay Development 2009 - present

2000 to 2009 EISAI (MGI) (GUILFORD PHARMACEUTICALS) (Baltimore, Maryland)

Director, Biochemistry & Research Fellow 2007 - 2009

Associate Director – Biochemistry 2005 - 2007

Principal Scientist I 2005

Senior Scientist II 2003 - 2005

Senior Scientist I 2000 - 2003

1991 to 2000 AVENTIS (RHÔNE POULENC RORER) (Collegeville, Pennsylvania)

Senior Research Fellow 1999 to 2000

Research Fellow 1997 to 1999

Associate Research Fellow 1996 to 1997

Senior Research Scientist 1993 to 1996

Research Scientist 1991 to 1993

1989 to 1991 THE MEDICAL COLLEGE OF PENNSYLVANIA

Postdoctoral Fellow

1988 to 1989 THE UNIVERSITY OF UMEÅ (Sweden)

Visiting Scientist

1982 to 1988 THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE

Research Assistant

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Chemistry, THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE

Master of Science in Chemistry, SAINT JOSEPH COLLEGE (Connecticut)

Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY

PUBLICATIONS

Alt J, Rojas C, Wozniak K, Wu Y, Ferraris D, Tsukamoto T, Slusher B (2011) Development of a high throughput method for the determination of pharmacological levels of plasma D-serine Analytical Biochemistry 419: 106-109

Rojas C, Stathis M, Polydefkis M, Rudek MA, Zhao M, Ebenezer GJ, Slusher BS (2011) Glutamate carboxypeptidase activity in human skin biopsies as pharmacodynamic marker for clinical studies. Journal of Translational Medicine, 9:27-33

Rojas C, Li Y, Zhang J, Stathis M, Alt J, Thomas AG, Cantoreggi S, Sebastiani S, Pietra C, Slusher BS (2010) The Antiemetic 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonist Palonosetron Inhibits Substance-P Mediated Responses In Vitro and In Vivo, The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 335:362-368

Thomas AG, Rojas C, Hill JR, Shaw M, Slusher BS (2010) Bioanalysis of NAAG as a

Marker of GCP II Inhibition, Analytical Biochemistry, 404:94-96

Rojas C, Thomas AG, Alt J, Stathis M, Zhang J, Rubenstein EB, Sebastiani S, Cantoreggi S, Slusher B (2010) Palonosetron triggers receptor internalization and causes prolonged inhibition of function. European Journal of Pharmacology, 626:193-199

Rojas C, Stathis M, Thomas AG, Massuda E, Alt J, Zhang J, Rubenstein E, Sebastiani S, Cantoreggi S, Snyder SH, Slusher B (2008) Palonosetron exhibits unique molecular interactions with the 5-HT3 receptor. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 107(2):469-478

Ferraris D, Duvall B, Ko YS, Thomas AG, Rojas C, Majer P, Hashimoto K, Tsukamoto T (2008) "Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of D-Amino Acid Oxidase Inhibitors" J Med Chem 51 (12) 3357-9

Rubenstein EB, Slusher BS, Rojas C, Navari RM (2006) New Approaches to Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: From Neuropharmacology to Clinical Investigations. The Cancer Journal, 12(5):341-7

Lautar SL, Rojas C, Slusher BS, Wozniak KM, Wu Y, Thomas AG, Waldon D, Li W, Ferraris D, Belyakov S (2005) DPP IV inhibitor blocks mescaline-induced scratching and amphetamine-induced hyperactivity in mice. Brain Research 1048 (1 – 2): 177-84.

Ferraris D, Ko YS, Calvin D, Chiou T, Lautar S, Thomas B, Wozniak K, Rojas C, Kalish V, Belyakov S (2004) Ketopyrrolidines and ketoazetidines as potent dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 14(22): 5579-83

Berent-Spillson A, Robinson AM, Golovoy D, Slusher B, Rojas C, Russell JW (2004) Protection against glucose-induced neuronal death by NAAG and GCPII inhibition is regulated by mGluR3. J Neurochem. 89 (1) 90 – 99.

Ghadge GD, Slusher BS, Bodner A, Canto MD, Wozniak K, Thomas AG, Rojas C, Tsukamoto T, Majer P, Miller RJ, Monti AL, Roos RP (2003) Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II Inhibition protects motor neurons from death in familial amyotropic lateral sclerosis models. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100 (16) 9554 - 9559

Stoermer D, Liu Q, Hall MR, Flanary JM, Thomas AG, Rojas C, Slusher BS, Tsukamoto T (2003) Synthesis and biological evaluation of hydroxamate–based inhibitors of glutamate carboxypeptidase II. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 13 (13) 2097 – 2100

Majer P, Jackson PF, Delahanty G, Grella BS, Ko YS, Li W, Liu Q, Maclin KM, Polakova J, Shaffer KA, Stoermer D, Vitharana D, Wang EY, Zakrzewski A, Rojas C, Slusher BS Wozniak KM, Burak E, Limsakun T, Tsukamoto T (2003) Synthesis and biological evaluation of thiol-based inhibitors of glutamate carboxypeptidase II: discovery of an orally active GCPII inhibitor. J Med Chem. 46 (10) 1989 - 1996

Rojas C, Thomas AG, Majer P, Tsukamoto T, Lu XM, Vornov JJ, Wozniak KM, Slusher BS (2003) Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II Inhibition as a Novel Therapeutic Target. In Dipeptidyl Aminopeptidases in Health and Disease. Hildebrandt M, Klapp B, Hoffmann T, Demuth H-U (Editors). Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Kluwer Academic /Plenum Publishers, New York, 524, 205 – 213

Strísovsky K, Jirásková J, Barinka C, Majer P, Rojas C, Slusher BS, Konvalinka J (2003). Mouse brain serine racemase catalyzes specific elimination of L-serine to pyruvate. FEBS Letters 535, 44 - 48.

Rojas C, Frazier ST, Flanary J, Slusher BS (2002). Kinetics and inhibition of glutamate Carboxypeptidase II (NAALADase) using a new in vitro 96-well plate assay. Analytical Biochemistry 310, 50 – 54.

Tsukamoto T, Flanary JM, Rojas C, Slusher BS, Valiaeva N, Coward JK (2002). Phosphonate and phosphinate analogues of N-acetylated (-glutamylglutamate: potent inhibitors of glutamate carboxypeptidase II. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 12, 2189 - 2192.

Barinka C, Rinnová M, Sácha P, Rojas C, Majer P, Slusher BS, Konvalinka J (2002). Substrate specificity, inhibition and enzymological analysis of recombinant human glutamate carboxypeptidase II. J. Neurochem. 80, 477 –487.

Tiffany CW, Cai NS, Rojas C, Slusher BS (2001). Binding of the Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II (NAALADase) inhibitor 2-PMPA to rat brain membranes. Eur. J. Pharm. 427:91-96.

Hamel L, Kenney M, Clark K, Merkel L, Rojas C (2000). Preconditioning of Human Smooth Muscle Cells via (12 Prostaglandin J2 Protects Against Toxic Effects of Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 269: 327 – 330.

Hamel L, Kenney M, Jayyosi Z, Ardati A, Clark K, Spada A, Zilberstein A, Perrone M, Kaplow J, Merkel L, Rojas C (2000). Induction of heat shock protein 70 by herbimycin A and cyclopentenone prostaglandins in smooth muscle cells. Cell Stress & Chaperones 5 (2), 121 – 131.

Merkel L, Rojas C, Jarvis MF, Cox BF, Fink C, Smits GJ, Spada AP, Perrone MH (1998). Pharmacological Characterization of AMP 579, a Novel Adenosine A1/A2 Receptor Agonist and Cardioprotective. Drug Development Research 45:30-43.

Harrison EH, Rojas C, Kempner ES (1997). Size of the catalytically active unit of rat hepatic carboxylester lipase in the presence and absence of bile salt. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1347: 177-182.

Bilder GE, Rojas C (1996). Inhibitors of the Platelet-derived Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase. Cardiovascular Drug Reviews, 14: 380-399

Lewis D, Galczenski H, Needle S, Tang S-Y, Amin D, Gleason M, Bilder G, Perrone M, Merkel L,

Rojas C (1995). Enzyme Inhibition During the Conversion of Squalene to Cholesterol. Steroids 60: 475-483.

Gleason MM, Rojas C, Learn KS, Perrone M, Bilder G (1995). Characterization and inhibition of 15-lipoxygenase in human monocytes: Comparison with soybean 15-lipoxygenase. American Journal of Physiology (Cell Physiology 37): C1301-C1307.

Rojas C, Harrison EH (1994). Bile Salt-Dependent and Bile Salt-Independent Cholesteryl Ester Hydrolase Activities in Rat Liver Cytosol. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 206: 60-68.

Harrison EH, Rojas C, Gad MZ, Kempner ES (1993). Analysis of Microsomal Cholesteryl Ester Hydrolases by Radiation Inactivation. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 268: 17867-17870.

Rojas C, Olivecrona T, Bengtsson-Olivecrona G (1991). Comparison of the action of lipoprotein lipase on triacylglycerols and phospholipids when presented in mixed liposomes or in emulsion droplets. European Journal of Biochemistry 197: 315-321.

Rojas C, Enerbäck S, Bengtsson-Olivecrona G (1990). Synthesis and secretion of active lipoprotein lipase in Chinese-hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Biochemical Journal 271: 11-15.

Olivecrona T, Bengtsson-Olivecrona G, Rojas C, Deckelbaum R (1990) Lipase substrate selection. In: Carlson LA (ed), Disorders of HDL. Smith-Gordon, London, pp. 7-11.

Rojas C, Wang H-H, Lively CR, Gustafson WG, Schulz, LO, McFarland JT (1989). Spectral Observation of an Acyl-Enzyme Intermediate of Lipoprotein Lipase. Biochemistry, 28: 4475-4481.

McFarland JT, Rojas C (1986). 1,2-Dipalmitoyl-3-(-2-furylacryloyltriacylglycerol: a chromophoric substrate for lipoprotein lipase (1986). Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 876: 438-449.

Rojas C, Schmidt J, Lee M-Y, Gustafson WG, McFarland JT (1985). Structure-Function Correlation of Fatty Acyl CoA Dehydrogenase and Fatty Acyl-CoA Oxidase. Biochemistry 24: 2947-2954.

Rojas C, Gustafson W, Schmidt J, Domanski D, Feinberg BA, McFarland JT (1984). Structure-Function Correlation in (-Oxidation Enzymes. In: Bray RC, Engel PC, Mayhew SG (eds), Flavins and Flavoproteins. Walter de Gruyter & Co. New York, pp. 451-454.

Reinsch J. Rojas C, McFarland JT (1983). Kinetic Methods for the Study of the Enzyme Systems of (-Oxidation. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 227: 21-30.

Bochain A, Estey L, Haronian G, Reale M, Rojas C, Cramer J (1981). Determination of Catecholamine Permeability Coefficients for Passive Diffusion Across Phospholipid Vesicle Membranes. Journal of Membrane Biology 60: 73-76.

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