Jose's research journey started after completing a medical degree at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, México. He was trained in classical cardiac electrophysiology using intracellular microelectrodes and received a PhD from the Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados (CINVESTAV), Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), México City. Later on, he mastered two-electrode and single electrode voltage clamp methods in single and paired cells. His research has focused on the study of connexins, a family of integral membrane proteins that form channels. Clusters of connexins form connexons or hemichannels. When hemichannels on adjacent cells align, they form gap junctions. Gap junctions have a critical role in intercellular signaling and coordination of cell function. Unpaired hemichannels, if they open, permit the flow of certain solutes across the plasma membrane. Jose has explored the regulation of connexin channel function by voltage, acidification and phosphorylation.
Connexins do not exist in isolation. A question that remains largely unexplored is how these channel-forming proteins interact with other channels. Jose is conducting studies on the mechanism that causes TRPV4 activation to trigger connexin hemichannel opening. He also is exploring the responses of TRPM3 and piezo1 channels to subtle mechanical stimuli.