Curriculum Vitae
Official academic Curriculum Vitae and industry-focused career record of Juan C. Sanchez-Arias, MD, PhD.
Academic Curriculum Vitae
Comprehensive 3-page record of publications, clinical training, research, and awards.
Industry Resume
Focused overview of Data Science, AI systems engineering, and technical leadership.
🎓 Education
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Neuroscience
University of Victoria • Victoria, BC, Canada
Doctoral research in cellular and molecular neuroscience, synaptic plasticity, and cerebral cortex development.
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Universidad del Valle, School of Medicine • Cali, Colombia
Medical degree with comprehensive clinical rotations and biomedical research training.
💼 Work Experience
Data Scientist
BenchSci • Toronto, ON (Remote)
- Architecting AI-driven data intelligence pipelines and hardening extraction systems to deliver high-throughput API endpoints to support agentic preclinical biomedical acceleration.
Science Tech Lead and Team Lead
BenchSci • Toronto, ON (Remote)
- Led multidisciplinary teams and directed technical strategy to improve the observability and scientific quality of data pipelines.
- Engineered comprehensive analytics frameworks to evaluate disease relations across journal articles (MONDO, ICD-10, SNOMED), ensuring robust data quality metrics and standards.
- Partnered with cross-functional stakeholders (Product, Engineering) to align scientific requirements with shared technical execution and delivery.
Scientist II - Data Extraction
BenchSci • Toronto, ON (Remote)
- Developed and optimized biomedical data extraction workflows to enhance precision and data quality.
🔬 Research Experience
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
University of Victoria, Division of Medical Sciences • Victoria, BC
- Led the design of a holistic and culturally safe translational research project to investigate an arrhythmia-causing genetic variant identified in the Gitxsan First Nation.
- Managed complex genomic and transcriptomic datasets using advanced bioinformatics (R, Bioconductor) to discover mechanisms underlying cardiomyocyte and neuronal calcium homeostasis.
- Communicated vital research outcomes via peer-reviewed journals and community-based talks, enhancing the collective knowledge of congenital cardiac conditions.
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Victoria, Division of Medical Sciences • Victoria, BC
- Engineered conditional knockout mouse models and optimized primary neuronal cultures to investigate mechanisms of dendritic spine plasticity and cerebral cortex development.
- Developed advanced microscopy methods to visualize cellular dynamics.
- Championed open-science practices by establishing accessible bio-image analysis frameworks for the research community.
Undergraduate Medical Researcher
Universidad del Valle, Centro de Estudios Cerebrales • Cali, Colombia
- Facilitated literature seminars and thematic discussions for researchers and partners at the Centro de Estudios Cerebrales.
- Refined experimental procedures for modeling diffuse traumatic brain injury and developed staining techniques for organotypic brain tissue preparations.
Undergraduate Medical Researcher
Universidad del Valle, School of Public Health • Cali, Colombia
- Coordinated a regional survey assessing cardiovascular risk factors in spinal cord injury patients, identifying key social determinants of health to inform targeted rehabilitation plans.
- Collaborated with Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residents and attendings to prescribe comprehensive, evidence-based management plans for chronic patients.
🏥 Relevant Clinical Experiences
Observership: Functional Neurosurgery (4 weeks)
University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System • Chicago, IL, USA
Supervisor: Dr. Konstantin Slavin
Pre-Diploma Internship (Internado Rotatorio)
Hospital Universitario del Valle ESE | Universidad del Valle • Cali, Colombia
Rotations: Internal Medicine (7 wks), Paediatrics (7 wks), Obstetrics & Gynaecology (7 wks), Specialized Research Internship in Biomedical Science / Neuroscience (16 wks), Surgery / Trauma (7 wks), Family Medicine (4 wks).
Professional Elective: Neurosurgery (Neurocirugía - 4 weeks)
Hospital Universitario del Valle ESE | Universidad del Valle • Cali, Colombia
Clinical rotation in neurosurgical evaluation and surgical procedures.
Professional Elective: Systems Pathology (Patología de Sistemas - 4 weeks)
Universidad del Valle, School of Medicine • Cali, Colombia
Comprehensive systemic histopathology and diagnostic pathology.
👨🏫 Medical Education & Teaching Experience
Teaching Assistant
Island Medical Program, UBC | University of Victoria • Victoria, BC
Foundations of Medical Practice I and II (MEDD412, MEDD421, MEDD422)
Instructed first- and second-year medical trainees in neuroanatomy laboratory sessions, fostering a dynamic educational space centered on the functional integration of clinical signs with neural structures and physiological processes.
🏆 Selected Awards & Fellowships
Research Trainee Award
Michael Smith Health Research BC • University of Victoria
The impact of the loss-of-function ankyrin-B p.S646F variant on cardiomyocyte and neuronal excitability: Implications for diagnosis and treatment of heart disease
Mentors & Collaborators: Dr. Leigh Anne Swayne & Dr. Laura Arbour (Division of Medical Sciences)
Investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms of a genetic variant in the ANK2 gene (ankyrin-B p.S646F) identified in Indigenous Communities of Northern BC (Gitxsan Nation) associated with cardiac arrhythmias, structural cardiomyopathy, seizures, and cerebral aneurysms. Applied advanced fluorescence live-cell imaging of calcium and voltage dynamics along with computational modeling in immature heart and brain cells to bridge fundamental laboratory observations to patient electrocardiograms.
📚 Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications
Google Scholar ↗Mechanisms underlying the role of ankyrin-B in cardiac and neurological health and disease.
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 9, 964675. 2022. Frontiers Media SA.
PO-655-05 IS ANKYRIN-2 A POTENTIAL GENETIC MODIFIER IN PEDIATRIC CATECHOLAMINERGIC POLYMORPHIC VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA?.
Heart Rhythm 19,5,S264-S265. 2022. Elsevier.
A systematic, open-science framework for quantification of cell-types in mouse brain sections using fluorescence microscopy.
Frontiers in Neuroanatomy 15, 722443. 2021. Frontiers Media SA.
Purinergic signaling in nervous system health and disease: Focus on pannexin 1.
Pharmacology & Therapeutics 225, 107840. 2021. Pergamon.
Pannexin 1 regulates dendritic protrusion dynamics in immature cortical neurons.
ENeuro 7(4). 2020. Society for Neuroscience.
Consideration of Pannexin 1 channels in COVID-19 pathology and treatment.
American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology 319(1), L121-L125. 2020. American Physiological Society.
Pannexin 1 regulates network ensembles and dendritic spine development in cortical neurons.
ENeuro 6(3). 2019. Society for Neuroscience.
💡 Professional Development
🤝 Professional Affiliations
🌱 Leadership & Community Engagement
Builder / Hacker (Third Place)
Island Health Code Hack | Victoria, BC
Collaborated within an interdisciplinary team to pitch and develop targeted technological solutions aimed at reducing 'PJ paralysis' and preventing patient deconditioning across Island Health.
Co-creator & Organizer
“Who can become a scientist?” Symposium | Victoria, BC
Established an educational symposium for high school students addressing equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM, advocating for underrepresented populations in the sciences.
Local Chapter Coordinator
CIHR Brain Bee | University of Victoria | Victoria, BC
Directed local operations and social media for the Victoria Brain Bee, mentoring high school students and securing funding to sponsor winners for national competitions.
Newsletter Co-editor
BC Regenerative Medicine Network | Victoria, BC
Curated and edited organizational communications, recruited symposium speakers, and evaluated scientific abstracts to promote regional collaboration in regenerative medicine.
Student Representative
Neuroscience Graduate Program | University of Victoria | Victoria, BC
Spearheaded collaborative programs dedicated to championing psychological wellness and mental health support for graduate trainees; orchestrated recruitment of distinguished researchers for the Seminar Series.