ONE HEALTH
Julie is deeply interested by the interconnection between Nature and Health, whether it pertains to using natural remedies to the world's deadliest diseases, or how environmental changes, urbanization and human-wildlife conflicts can impact our own well-being. With a background in Neuroscience, her research first focused on venom-derived treatment strategies for chronic pain at the University of Queensland (Australia), and later on genetic and epigenetic factors modulating the treatment response of patients at Yale University, where she obtained her PhD.
She later led research and outreach efforts on the detrimental effects of plastic pollution on marine species and human health in Cambodia withe NGO Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC).
She recently completed her postdoctoral studies at the Smithsonian Tropical research Institute in Panama, where she investigated the impact of climate variation and climate change on Aedes mosquitoes, the primary vectors for Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya and Yellow fever.
PUBLICATIONS
Labau, J. I.R., Tunon, R., Touchon, J. C., Bennett, K. L., Jiggins, F., Mcmillan, O. W., Loaiza, J. R. (2025) Climate variation on the interspecific dynamics of locally-adapted Aedes aegypti and invasive Aedes albopictus. Under Review.
Labau, J. I.R., Andelic, M., Faber, C. G., Waxman, S. G., Lauria, G., & Dib-Hajj, S.(2022). Recent advances for using human induced-pluripotent stem cells as pain-in-a-dish models of neuropathic pain. Experimental Neurology, 114223.
Alsaloum, M., Labau, J. I.R., Liu, S., Effraim, P., & Waxman, S. G. (2022). Stem cell-derived sensory neurons modelling inherited erythromelalgia: normalization of excitability. Brain. 146(1), pp.359–371
Labau, J.I.R, Alsaloum, M., Estacion, M., Tanaka, B., Dib-Hajj, F.B., Lauria, G.,Smeets, H.J., Faber, C.G., Dib-Hajj, S. and Waxman, S.G., 2021. Lacosamide Inhibition of NaV1. 7 Channels Depends on its Interaction With the Voltage Sensor Domain and the Channel Pore. Frontiers Pharmacology. 12:791740
Alsaloum, M., Labau, J.I.R, Liu, S., Estacion, M., Zhao, P., Dib-Hajj, F. and Waxman, S.G., 2021. Contributions of NaV1. 8 and NaV1. 9 to excitability in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived somatosensory neurons. Scientific reports, 11(1), pp.1-14.
Alsaloum, M., Labau, J.I.R, Sosniak, D., Zhao, P., Almomani, R., Gerrits, M., Hoeijmakers, J.G., Lauria, G., Faber, C.G., Waxman, S.G. and Dib-Hajj, S., 2021. A novel gain-of-function sodium channel β2 subunit mutation in idiopathic small fiber neuropathy. Journal of Neurophysiology, 126(3), pp.827-839.
Labau, J.I.R., Estacion, M., Tanaka, B.S., de Greef, B.T., Hoeijmakers, J.G., Geerts, M., Gerrits, M.M., Smeets, H.J., Faber, C.G., Merkies, I.S. and Lauria, G., 2020. Differential effect of lacosamide on Nav1. 7 variants from responsive and non-responsive patients with small fibre neuropathy. Brain, 143(3), pp.771-782.