top of page

CV

Current Projects

  • Development of methodologies for simultaneous single cell RNA and DNA sequencing​

  • Identification of causal autoimmune single nucleotide polymorphisms using CRISPR-Cas9 technologies to better define the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis

  • Discovery of dynamic allelic expression during T cell activation to uncover and validate a cis-regulatory eQTLs in the HLA locus

  • Uncovering T cell signatures in Tuberculosis infected patients and household controls using multi-omic single cell technologies

Research Experience

2017- Present

Postdoctoral Fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy. Affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Broad Institute.

Using CRISPR-Cas9 technology to study the genetics of autoimmunity

2016-2017

Postdoctoral Fellow at the Krembil Research Institute, Department of Genetics and Development.

Investigating methods for CRISPR-Cas9 mediated manipulation of human primary B cells in autoimmunity. Studying the cellular changes that underlie pre-clinical autoimmunity in patients.

2010-2016

PhD Research Project at University of Toronto

  • Worked under the mentorship of Dr. Joan Wither on mouse models of autoimmunity including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Arthritis, and Multiple Sclerosis. 

  • Had ongoing collaborations on the role of Repulsive Guidance Molecules in neuroimmunology and blood-brain barrier integrity. On medulloblastoma infiltrating leukocytes and lymphatics development, and on the role of SLAM molecules in Natural Killer T cell development and function

2010

Training Program in Infectious and Pandemic Disease in Shantou, China

Program run by Dr. David J. Kelvin highlighting research techniques and socioeconomic factors contributing to pandemic and infectious disease, specifically H5N1 and H1N1

2009-2010

Independent Research Project at Sunnybrook Health Science Institute

Fourth year research project under Dr. Micheal Ratcliffe on identifying the role of chemokine and chemokine receptors in B cell development in Gallus gallus.

Education

2010-2016

University Toronto, PhD

Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine

2006-2010

University Toronto, BSc with High Distinction

Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine.

Cumulative GPA: 3.79

Publications & Patents

2019

Korsunsky I, Millard N, Fan J, Slowikowski K, Zhang F, Wei K, Baglaenko Y, Brenner M, Loh PR, Raychaudhuri S. Fast, sensitive and accurate integration of single-cell data with Harmony. Nat Methods. 2019 Dec;16(12):1289-1296. doi: 10.1038/s41592-019-0619-0.

Luo Y, Suliman S, Asgari S, Amariuta T, Baglaenko Y, Martínez-Bonet M, Ishigaki K, Gutierrez-Arcelus M, Calderon R, Lecca L, León SR, Jimenez J, Yataco R, Contreras C, Galea JT, Becerra M, Nejentsev S, Nigrovic PA, Moody DB, Murray MB, Raychaudhuri S. Early progression to active tuberculosis is a highly heritable trait driven by 3q23 in Peruvians. Nature Communications. 2019 Aug 21;10(1):3765. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-11664-1.

Nathan A, Baglaenko Y, Fonseka CY, Beynor JI, Raychaudhuri S. Multimodal single-cell approaches shed light on T cell heterogeneity. Curr Opin Immunol. 2019 Aug 17;61:17-25. doi: 10.1016/j.coi.2019.07.002. 

2018

Baglaenko Y*, Chang N*, Johnson S, Hafiz W, Manion K, Ferri D, Noamani B, Bonilla D, Rusta-Sallehy S, Lisnevskaia L, Silverman E, Bookman A,  Landolt-Marticorena C,  Wither JE. The presence of anti-nuclear antibodies alone is associated with changes in B cell activation and T follicular helper cells similar to those in systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease. Arthritis Research & Therapy. (*co-first authors)

Shinde R, Hezaveh K, Halaby MJ, Kloetgen A, Chakravarthy A, da Silva Medina T, Deol R, Manion KP, Baglaenko Y, Eldh M, Lamorte S, Wallace D, Chodisetti SB, Ravishankar B, Liu H, Chaudhary K, Munn DH, Tsirigos A, Madaio M, Gabrielsson S, Touma Z, Wither J, De Carvalho DD, McGaha TL. Apoptotic cell-induced AhR activity is required for immunological tolerance and suppression of systemic lupus erythematosus in mice and humans. Nat Immunol. 2018 Jun;19(6):571-582.

Wu CM*, Roth TL*, Baglaenko Y*, Ferri DM, Brauer P, Zuniga-Pflucker JC, Rosbe KW, Wither JE, Marson A, Allen CDC. Genetic engineering in primary human B cells with CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoproteins. J Immunol Methods. 2018 Jun;457:33-40. (*co-first authors)

Monnier PP, Tassew NG, Baglaenko Y.  2018.  Methods, Compounds and Compositions for Modulating Blood Brain Barrier Integrity and Re-myelination. US 15/762,497,793; Y/R: 2015-087-04; O/R: 05014971-177 filled March 10, 2018. Patent Pending.

2017

Baglaenko Y, Cruz Tleugabulova M, Gracey E, Talaei N, Manion KP, Chang N, Ferri DM, Mallevaey T, Wither JE. Invariant NKT Cell Activation Is Potentiated by Homotypic trans-Ly108 Interactions. J Immunol. 2017 May 15;198(10):3949-3962.

Chang N, Manion KP, Loh C, Pau E, Baglaenko Y, Wither JE. Multiple tolerance defects contribute to the breach of B cell tolerance in New Zealand Black chromosome 1 congenic mice. PLoS One. 2017 Jun 19;12(6):e0179506.

2016

Baglaenko Y, Manion KP, Chang N, Gracey E, Loh C, Wither JE. IL-10 Production is Critical for Sustaining the Expansion of CD5+ B and NKT cells and Restraining Autoantibody Production in Congenic Lupus-Prone Mice. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 10;11(3):e0150515.

Gracey E, Qaiyum Z, Almaghlouth I, Zhang Z, Yao Y, Raganathan V, Baglaenko Y, Inman RD. IL-7 primes IL-17 in mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, which contribute to the Th17-axis in ankylosing spondylitis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2016 Dec;75(12):2124-2132 .

2015

Gracey E, Yao Y, Green B, Qaiyum Z, Baglaenko Y, Lin A, Anton A, Ayearst R, Yip P, Inman RD. Sexual Dimorphism in the Th17 Signature of Ankylosing Spondylitis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016 Mar;68(3):679-89.

Gracey E, Baglaenko Y, Prayitno N, Rooijen NV, Akram A, Lin A, Chiu B, Inman RD. The Macrophage Plays a Central Role in Innate and Adaptive Host Immunity During Chlamydia muridarum Infection. Eur J Immunol. 2015 Dec;45(12):3417-30.

Baglaenko Y, Manion KP, Chang N, Loh C, Lajoie G, Wither JE. Suppression of autoimmunity by CD5+ IL-10-producing B cells in lupus-prone mice. Genes and Immunity. 2015 Jul;16(5):311-20.

bottom of page