Camila Vicencio Esguerra

Image of Camila Vicencio Esguerra
Norwegian version of this page
Phone +47 22840534
Username
Visiting address Gaustadalléen 21 Forskningsparken Bygg E etasje 3 0349 Oslo
Postal address Postboks 1137 Blindern 0318 Oslo
Other affiliations Institutt for pedagogikk (Student)

Current Positions

12/2014 – present: Group Leader, Chemical Neuroscience Group, Biotechnology Centre of Oslo, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo

01/2015 - present: Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo

Academic Interests

- Novel molecular mechanisms underlying neurological disorders (e.g. Epilepsy, Schizophrenia, Alzheimer´s)

  • Pharmacoresistance
  • Seizure initiation (ictogenesis)
  • Seizure progression (epileptogenesis)
  • Comorbidities (e.g. cognitive and locomotor impairment, SUDEP (Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy Patients))

- Disease modeling in Zebrafish

- Influence of drug exposure on neural development

- Early-stage, preclinical drug discovery

  • Chemical Biology
  • In vivo, medium- to high-throughput chemical modifier screens
  • Natural product discovery
  • Pharmacological analysis of bioactive compounds
  • Toxicological assessment of drugs and potential therapeutic small-molecules
  • Mode of action/target identification of therapeutic lead compounds

Background

Research

University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium:

10/2008 – 11/2014: 

  • Senior Scientist and Industrial Research Fellow, Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacology
  • Founder and Manager, Chemical Genetics Initiative @ KU Leuven
  • Project Coordinator, PharmaSea (EU FP7 Project, 2012-2014)                               

08/2006 – 01/2008:

  • Postdoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Catherine Verfaillie, Interdepartmental Stem Cell Institute                      

08/2006 – 01/2008:

  • Postdoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Frank Luyten, Laboratory for Skeletal Development and Joints, Department of Musculoskeletal Sciences                         

02/2003 – 04/2006: 

  • Senior Scientist and Doctoral Candidate, Laboratory of Desiré Collen, Molecular Cardiovascular Medicine Group, Faculty of Medical Sciences

Teaching

2015 – present: 

Lecturer, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Norway; Organic Chemically-Based Drug Design

01/2004 – 11/2014:

Lecturer, Biomedical Sciences Group, University of Leuven, Belgium; Principles of Genetics, Model Systems in Research, Laboratory Animal Science

Education

02/2003-07/2007: Doctor of Medical Sciences (PhD), University of Leuven, Belgium

09/1992-08/1994: Master of Philosophy (MPhil) (Developmental Genetics)

  • Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
  • MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom
  • Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

09/1986-06/1990: Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences (BA), Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, USA

Current collaborations

Press clippings

Zebrafish; a see-though favourite with researchers (Uniforum, in Norwegian)

Selected publications (pdf)

Tags: Epilepsy, Genetics, Pharmacology

Publications

  • Nieoczym, Dorota; Marszalek-Grabska, Marta; Szalak, Radoslaw; Kundap, Uday; Kaczor, Agnieszka A. & Wrobel, Tomasz M. [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2024). A comprehensive assessment of palmatine as anticonvulsant agent – In vivo and in silico studies. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. ISSN 0753-3322. 172. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116234.
  • Desalegn, Anteneh Assefa; van der Ent, Wietske; Lenters, Virissa Claire; Torcelino-Iszatt, Nina Louise; Stigum, Hein & Lyche, Jan Ludvig [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Perinatal exposure to potential endocrine disrupting chemicals and autism spectrum disorder: From Norwegian birth cohort to zebrafish studies. Environment International. ISSN 0160-4120. 181. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108271. Full text in Research Archive
  • Nieoczym, Dorota; Banono, Nancy Saana; Stępnik, Katarzyna; Kaczor, Agnieszka A.; Szybkowski, Przemysław & Esguerra, Camila [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2023). In Silico Analysis, Anticonvulsant Activity, and Toxicity Evaluation of Schisandrin B in Zebrafish Larvae and Mice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. ISSN 1661-6596. 24(16). doi: 10.3390/ijms241612949.
  • Skiba, Adrianna; Kozioł, Ewelina; Luca, Simon Vlad; Budzyńska, Barbara; Podlasz, Piotr & van der Ent, Wietske [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2023). Evaluation of the Antiseizure Activity of Endemic Plant Halfordia kendack Guillaumin and Its Main Constituent, Halfordin, on a Zebrafish Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-Induced Seizure Model. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. ISSN 1661-6596. 24(3). doi: 10.3390/ijms24032598. Full text in Research Archive
  • Abram, Michał; Jakubiec, Marcin; Reeb, Katelyn; Cheng, Mary Hongying; Gedschold, Robin & Rapacz, Anna [Show all 22 contributors for this article] (2022). Discovery of (R)- N-Benzyl-2-(2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl)propanamide [ (R)-AS-1 ], a Novel Orally Bioavailable EAAT2 Modulator with Drug-like Properties and Potent Antiseizure Activity in Vivo. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. ISSN 0022-2623. 65(17), p. 11703–11725. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00534. Full text in Research Archive
  • Silvennoinen, Katri; Gawel, Kinga Aurelia; Tsortouktzidis, Despina; Pitsch, Julika; Alhusaini, Saud & van Loo, Karen M. J. [Show all 26 contributors for this article] (2022). SCN1A overexpression, associated with a genomic region marked by a risk variant for a common epilepsy, raises seizure susceptibility. Acta Neuropathologica. ISSN 0001-6322. 144(1), p. 107–127. doi: 10.1007/s00401-022-02429-0. Full text in Research Archive
  • Gawel, Kinga Aurelia; Kukula-Koch, Wirginia; Banono, Nancy Saana; Nieoczym, Dorota; Targowska-Duda, Katarzyna M & Czernicka, Lidia [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). 6-Gingerol, a Major Constituent of Zingiber officinale Rhizoma, Exerts Anticonvulsant Activity in the Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizure Model in Larval Zebrafish . International Journal of Molecular Sciences. ISSN 1661-6596. 22(14), p. 1–22. doi: 10.3390/ijms22147745. Full text in Research Archive
  • Tiraboschi, Ettore; Martina, Silvia; van der Ent, Wietske; Grzyb, Kamil; Gawel, Kinga Aurelia & Cordero-Maldonado, Maria Lorena [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2020). New insights into the early mechanisms of epileptogenesis in a zebrafish model of Dravet syndrome. Epilepsia. ISSN 0013-9580. 61(3), p. 549–560. doi: 10.1111/epi.16456. Full text in Research Archive
  • Gawel, Kinga Aurelia; Kukula-Koch, Wirginia; Nieoczym, Dorota; Stępnik, Katarzyna; van der Ent, Wietske & Banono, Nancy Saana [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2020). The Influence of Palmatine Isolated from Berberis sibirica Radix on Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizures in Zebrafish. Cells. ISSN 2073-4409. 9(5). doi: 10.3390/cells9051233. Full text in Research Archive
  • Banono, Nancy Saana; Gawel, Kinga Aurelia; De Witte, Linus & Esguerra, Camila (2020). Zebrafish Larvae Carrying a Splice Variant Mutation in cacna1d: A New Model for Schizophrenia-Like Behaviours? Molecular Neurobiology. ISSN 0893-7648. 58, p. 877–894. doi: 10.1007/s12035-020-02160-5. Full text in Research Archive
  • Banono, Nancy Saana & Esguerra, Camila (2020). Pharmacological validation of the prepulse inhibition of startle response in larval zebrafish using a commercial automated system and software. Journal of Visualized Experiments. ISSN 1940-087X. 161. doi: 10.3791/61423. Full text in Research Archive
  • Copmans, Daniëlle; Kildgaard, Sara; Rasmussen, Silas A.; Ślęzak, Monika; Dirkx, Nina & Partoens, Michèle [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2019). Zebrafish-based discovery of antiseizure compounds from the north sea: Isoquinoline alkaloids TMC-120A and TMC-120B. Marine Drugs. ISSN 1660-3397. 17:607(11), p. 1–20. doi: 10.3390/md17110607. Full text in Research Archive
  • Sisodiya, Sanjay M.; Fowler, Hayley J.; Lake, Iain; Nanji, Rosemary Ogwen; Gawel, Kinga Aurelia & Esguerra, Camila Vicencio [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2019). Climate change and epilepsy: Time to take action. Epilepsia Open. ISSN 2470-9239. 4(4), p. 524–536. doi: 10.1002/epi4.12359. Full text in Research Archive
  • Gawel, Kinga Aurelia; Banono, Nancy Saana; Michalak, Agnieszka & Esguerra, Camila Vicencio (2019). A critical review of zebrafish schizophrenia models: Time for validation? Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. ISSN 0149-7634. 107, p. 6–22. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.001.
  • Nieoczym, Dorota; Socala, Katarzyna; Gawel, Kinga Aurelia; Esguerra, Camila Vicencio; Wyska, Elzbieta & Wlaz, Piotr (2019). Anticonvulsant Activity of Pterostilbene in Zebrafish and Mouse Acute Seizure Tests. Neurochemical Research. ISSN 0364-3190. 44(5), p. 1043–1055. doi: 10.1007/s11064-019-02735-2. Full text in Research Archive
  • Abudu, Yakubu Princely; Pankiv, Serhiy; Mathai, Benan John; Lystad, Alf Håkon; Bindesbøll, Christian & Brenne, Hanne Britt [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2019). NIPSNAP1 and NIPSNAP2 act as “eat-me signal” for mitophagy. Developmental Cell. ISSN 1534-5807. 49(4), p. 509–525.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.03.013. Full text in Research Archive
  • Leclercq, K; Afrikanova, Tatiana; Langlois, M.; De Prins, A; Buenafe, OE & Rospo, CC [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2015). Cross-species pharmacological characterization of the allylglycine seizure model in mice and larval zebrafish. Epilepsy & Behavior. ISSN 1525-5050. 45, p. 53–63. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.03.019.
  • Schubert, Julian; Siekierska, Aleksandra; Langlois, Melanie; May, Patrick; Huneau, Clément & Becker, Felicitas [Show all 47 contributors for this article] (2014). Mutations in STX1B, encoding a presynaptic protein, cause fever-associated epilepsy syndromes. Nature Genetics. ISSN 1061-4036. 46, p. 1327–1332. doi: 10.1038/ng.3130.

View all works in Cristin

  • Shojaeinia, Elham; Melikishvili, Gia; Kurua, Ekaterine; Tabatadze, Nazhi; Gachechiladze, Tamar & Melikishvili, Mariam [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Acetazolamide – an old drug but potentially also a first precision medicine for CHD2-related epilepsy?
  • Connors, Craig; Mastracci, Teresa; Devinsky, Orrin; Shojaeinia, Elham; Esguerra, Camila Vicencio & Crawford, Alexander Dettmar (2023). Zebrafish embryos with reduced deoxyhypusine synthase exhibit dysmorphology, epileptiform activity, and reduced GABAergic neuronal arborization.
  • Banono, Nancy Saana; Gawel, Kinga Aurelia; Mäki-Marttunen, Tuomo; van der Ent, Wietske; Kukula-Koch, Wirginia & Fyhn, Marianne [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Novel zebrafish model for studying neurodevelopment in Timothy syndrome.
  • van der Ent, Wietske; Kirstein-Smardzewska, Karolina Joanna; Gawel, Kinga Aurelia; Banono, Nancy Saana; Eggesbø, Merete Åse & Esguerra, Camila Vicencio (2023). Evaluation of Developmental Neurotoxicity in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) by Endocrine Disrupting Chemical β-HCH.
  • van der Ent, Wietske; Kirstein-Smardzewska, Karolina Joanna; Gawel, Kinga Aurelia; Banono, Nancy Saana; Eggesbø, Merete Åse & Esguerra, Camila Vicencio (2023). Evaluation of Developmental Neurotoxicity in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) by Endocrine Disrupting Chemical β-HCH.
  • Christou, Maria; Hultman, Maria Thérése; Esguerra, Camila Vicencio; Lillicrap, Adam David & Song, You (2023). Using Automated Size Measurement Software as a Possible New Approach Methodology to Support Adverse Outcome Pathway.
  • Esguerra, Camila (2022). Altered brain activity and neuronal morphology in larval zebrafish carrying mutations in Syntaxin binding protein 1.
  • Christou, Maria; Hultman, Maria Thérése; Esguerra, Camila Vicencio; Lillicrap, Adam David & Song, You (2022). Adverse outcome pathway guided hazard assessment of mitochondrial uncouplers: a tiered testing strategy using zebrafish in vitro assays and embryo toxicity assays.
  • Song, You; Lillicrap, Adam David; Esguerra, Camila Vicencio; Villeneuve, Daniel L.; Ng, Daniel & Rundberget, Jan Thomas [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2022). Quantitative Adverse Outcome Pathways Assisted Next Generation Risk Assessment of Mitochondrial Toxicants.
  • Banono, Nancy Saana; van der Ent, Wietske; Gawel, Kinga Aurelia; Mäki-Marttunen, Tuomo; Kukula-Koch, Wirginia & Einevoll, Gaute [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2021). Functional characterisation of cacna1c mutations in zebrafish larvae.
  • Hultman, Maria Thérése; Christou, Maria; Rundberget, Jan Thomas; Esguerra, Camila Vicencio; Edhlund, Ian & Kamstra, Jorke [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Adverse outcome pathway (AOP) guided high-throughput in vitro and in vivo assessment of mitochondrial toxicants.
  • Song, You; Villeneuve, Daniel L.; Moe, Jannicke; Cao, Yang; Hultman, Maria Thérése & Christou, Maria [Show all 21 contributors for this article] (2021). Development of quantitative Adverse Outcome Pathways to facilitate next generation risk assessment of mitochondrial toxicants.
  • Hultman, Maria Thérése; Christou, Maria; Rundberget, Jan Thomas; Esguerra, Camila Vicencio; Edhlund, Ian & Kamstra, Jorke Harmen [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Adverse outcome pathway (AOP) guided high-throughput in vitro and in vivo assessment of mitochondrial toxicants.
  • Song, You; Villeneuve, Daniel; Moe, Jannicke; Cao, Yang; Hultman, Maria Thérése & Christou, Maria [Show all 21 contributors for this article] (2021). Development of quantitative Adverse Outcome Pathways to facilitate next generation risk assessment of mitochondrial toxicants.
  • Song, You; Hultman, Maria Thérése; Moe, Jannicke; Petersen, Karina; Rundberget, Jan Thomas & Xie, Li [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2020). The RiskAOP project - Quantitative Adverse Outcome Pathway assisted risk assessment of mitochondrial toxicants.
  • Banono, Nancy Saana; Gawel, Kinga Aurelia; De Witte, Linus & Esguerra, Camila (2020). Zebrafish larvae carrying a mutation in cacna1d display schizophrenia-like behaviours .
  • Banono, Nancy Saana & Esguerra, Camila (2018). Phenotypic analysis and small-molecule drug screening in genetic zebrafish models of schizophrenia.
  • Banono, Nancy Saana; Esguerra, Camila; Fyhn, Marianne & Andreassen, Ole (2021). Functional analysis of psychiatric risk genes in zebrafish (Danio rerio): a focus on the L-type voltage-gated calcium channel subtypes CaV1.2 and CaV1.3. Universitetet i Oslo.

View all works in Cristin

Published Dec. 17, 2015 10:21 AM - Last modified Feb. 2, 2023 12:40 PM