Joshuaine Grant is a biochemist and mathematical modeler with 22 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biophysics from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Science in Molecular and Cell Biology, and a Masters in Business Administration from Quinnipiac University. Prior to joining Applied Biomath, Joshuaine worked as a protein biochemist at Protein Sciences Corporation, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. She performed protein purification, biophysical characterization, and assay development to support high throughput screening and structural research for a variety of protein classes including viral coat proteins, kinases, ubituinases, and proteases.
In 2008, Joshuaine joined the Systems Biology group at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals where she used QSP and PK/PD modeling to support target identification, lead selection, and preclinical study design in early discovery research for both large and small molecules. For programs entering development, she estimated the efficacious dose in humans and supported dosing strategies in Phase I. In 2017, she joined the department of Translational Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology where she provided pharmacometrics and QSP modeling support for clinical development programs. During her time at Boehringer Ingelheim, she supported programs in immunology, oncology, and cardiometabolic diseases.
Scientist Spotlight
February 2021
What is your role at Applied BioMath?
"In my current role I am a modeler and project lead. I develop and use fit-for-purpose models to answer key questions that our collaborators are looking to answer. As a project lead, I work closely with our internal team of biologists and modelers and our collaborators to develop a high-level strategy that caters the modeling work to their needs."
What do you love most about working here?
"I love using our models to help our collaborators make decisions in their drug discovery programs. I enjoy sharing in our collaborators’ excitement when we have learned something new about disease biology or an innovative therapeutic. It is especially nice when we utilize a model in a different way than we initially anticipated."
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
"I really enjoy seeing the innovative science and new technologies that our collaborators are working on. I also feel extremely lucky to work with so many talented scientists (both at Applied BioMath and externally) and to be a part of their successes. I am continuously learning new things."
What was your specialty prior to coming to Applied BioMath?
"I worked as a bench scientist for 14 years, performing protein purification and biochemical and biophysical characterization of various classes of proteins. 11 years ago, I made the transition into modeling at Boehringer Ingelheim. After John Burke explained the mission of his new Systems Biology group, I realized that his team would be doing many of the things I had been doing for years, but instead of a microtiter plate they would perform experiments in silico, using a lot of math. I was immediately interested and was lucky enough to join his group and learn how to build and use mechanistic models. After 10 years of modeling at BI, I joined the ABM team and I couldn’t be happier."
What made you get into the field of life sciences?
"I was in 2nd grade when I first saw single celled organisms under the microscope. I remember our class field trip to a vernal pond where we scooped up samples of water, brought them back to the classroom, and studied the amoeba and paramecium that lived in the water. I was fascinated by the idea that there was more to life than what was visible in plain sight. This fascination extended to my college years where I studied biophysics and protein structure & function. To this day I am still intrigued to see us use technology (and math) to determine the structure of proteins and nucleic acids without being able to see them. As my 2nd grade self would say, 'Science is cool.' "
What do you like to do in your spare time?
"I enjoy being active and getting outside as much as I can. I love road biking, mountain biking and running. I especially enjoy long distance endurance challenges and am currently training for my first ultramarathon."
Do you have a motto or personal mantra you live by?
"One of my favorite quotes is from Henry David Thoreau, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams; live the life you have imagined.” I latched onto this way of thinking when I realized that I was wavering on my determination to chase my dreams. We have just one life. Sometimes we only have to overcome our own fears and internal obstacles to make our dreams happen. If we don’t live the life we have imagined, or at least push ourselves towards living that life, then we may look back on our younger years with regret."
What is something most people don’t know about you?
"I have hiked all 48 of the 4,000 footers in the White Mountains in NH. I also used to skate with CT Roller Derby under the derby name Bustin Timberlake."
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
"I would travel. My destination wish list is very long, but I think the first place I would go is Iceland."
What inspires you everyday?
"I am a naturally curious and inquisitive person. I ask a lot of questions and constantly ponder what-ifs. I suppose that means that the unknown is what inspires me."
Key Research
- Mechanistic PK/PD modeling to address early-stage biotherapeutic dosing feasibility questions