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Omoto Biosketch

OMB No. 0925-0001 and 0925-0002 (Rev. 10/2021 Approved Through 01/31/2026)

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

NAME: Ana Carolina Mieko Omoto

eRA COMMONS USER NAME (credential, e.g., agency login): aomoto

POSITION TITLE: Instructor

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Personal Statement

My major long-term career goal is to make important discoveries in the field of cardiovascular physiology that are ultimately translated to therapies that improve people’s lives. I plan to make these contributions by becoming a leading cardiovascular scientist with an independent academic research program and by training the next generation of cardiovascular scientists. My current research aims to identify the powerful mechanisms by which activation of central nervous system leptin-melanocortin pathway improves cardiac function after I/R. Unraveling these mechanisms will provide new physiological insights into the role of leptin-melanocortin system in regulating cardiac metabolism and overall function and may provide a promising new therapeutic approach for improving cardiac function and reducing morbidity and mortality after myocardial infarction.

Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honors

2022 - Present Instructor, Physiology and Biophysics Department, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.

2020 - 2022 Postdoctoral fellow, Physiology and Biophysics Department, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.

2018 - 2019 Internship (Ph.D. Sandwich – CAPES), Physiology and Biophysics Department, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.

2015 - 2019 Ph.D. fellowship, Physiology Department, School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto – University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

2013 - 2015 Predoctoral fellowship (MSc Degree - FAPESP), Physiology Department, Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

2012 - 2012 Internship (Scientific Initiation Sandwich Program – FAPESP), Psychology Department, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.

2011 - 2012 Undergraduate (Scientific Initiation - FAPESP) Fellowship, Physiology Department, Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

2010 - 2011 Undergraduate (Scientific Initiation - FAPESP) Fellowship, Physiology Department, Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Honors

2023 Postdoctoral Fellow Research Award - School of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences,University of Mississippi Medical Center

2023 Martin Frank Diversity Travel Award – American Physiological Society (APS)

2022 Vevo Research Award Cardiovascular Category

2014 Certificate of distinction in the 1st Panamerican Congress of the Physiological Society

2012 Certificate of distinction in the 47th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Society of Physiology

2012 Certificate of distinction in the 16th Cardiovascular Physiology Symposium

2011 Certificate of distinction in the 15th Cardiovascular Physiology Symposium

Professional Memberships

2020 – present Member, American Heart Association.

2020 – present Member, American Physiological Society.

2012 – present Member, Brazilian Physiological Society.

Other Experience

2022 Invited speaker for the on-line talk “The CNS actions of leptin: from glucose regulation to cardiac protection” for the Physiology Seminar series of the University of Antioquia, Colombia.

2022 Invited speaker for the on-line talk “Cardiac protection by CNS actions of leptin after ischemia/reperfusion injury” for the course of Advanced Physiology of the graduation program in physiology - University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil.

2021 External member of Marcelo Fernandes dos Santos’s master dissertation defense committee – Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Scientific review service:

2023-present Editorial Board:Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

2022-present Grant reviewer:American Heart Association (AHA) predoctoral grants

2020-present Journal reviewer:Biomedicine & Pharmacology and Frontiers in Endocrinology

Contributions to Science

During my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to work as research assistant at the Dept. of Physiology of the Sao Paulo State University. I spent 3 years at Dr. Juliana De Gobbi’s laboratory studying the integrative role of the central nervous system in the maintenance of body fluid and cardiovascular homeostasis in an animal model of aortic regurgitation. During this period, I studied the effects of a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, paroxetine, to improve cardiac function and sodium appetite in rats with heart failure induced by aortic regurgitation. As soon as I received my bachelor’s degree, I enrolled in a master degree program in the same field of research aimed at understanding the mechanisms involved in the cardioprotective effect of paroxetine after aortic regurgitation.

1. Omoto ACM, Moraes LN, Garcia GJF, Vechetti-Junior IJ, Roscani MG, Carvalho RF, De Gobbi JIF. Paroxetine alters cardiac stress markers in rats with aortic regurgitation. European Journal of Experimental Biology, v.08, p.1-7, 2018.
2. De Oliveira G, Freire PP, Omoto ACM, Cury SS, Fuziwara CS, Kimura ET, Dal-Pai-Silva M, Carvalho RF. Osteoglycin post-transcriptional regulation of miR-155 induces cellular architecture changesin H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. Gene, v.676, p.9-15, 2018.
3. De Gobbi JIF, Omoto ACM, Siqueira TF, Matsubara LS, Roscani MG, Matsubara BB. Antidepressant treatment decreases daily salt intake and prevents heart dysfunction following subchronic aortic regurgitation in rats. Physiology & Behavior, v.144, p.124-128, 2015.

In order to get my Ph.D., I decide to move to another university to enroll in a graduate program in Physiology at the School of Medicine of University of Sao Paulo in Ribeirao Preto, SP. During graduate studies, my research focus was on characterizing myocardial lesions caused by ischemia/reperfusion in rats. I also dedicated a significant part of my time to improve my skills with important techniques used for cardiac function and evaluation of autonomic nervous system balance such as echocardiography and heart rate variability analysis. These techniques gave me the opportunity to collaborate with scientists in different areas of cardiovascular research helping them with acquisition and analyses of cardiac function data in different animal models.

1. Lataro R, Moraes D, Gava F, Omoto ACM, Silva CA, Brognara F, Alfen L, Brazao V, Colato R, Prado-Jr JCP, Ford A, Salgado HC, Paton J. P2X3 receptor antagonism attenuates the progression of heart failure. Nat Commun, 14(1):1725, 2023.
2. Omoto ACM, Lataro RM, Silva TM, Silva LEV, Salgado HCS, Fazan-Jr. Heart rate fragmentation, a novel approach in heart rate variability analysis, is altered in rats 4 and 12 weeks after myocardial infarction. Med Biol Eng Comput, v.59 (11-12):2373-2382, 2021.
3. Parente JM, de Mello MMB, da Silva PHL, Omoto ACM, Pernomian L, de Oliveira IS, Mahmud Z, Fazan Jr R, Arantes EC, Schulz R, Castro MM. MMP inhibition attenuates hypertensive eccentric cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction by preserving troponin I and dystrophin. Biochem Pharmacol, v.193, 2021.
4. de Sousa RA, Omoto ACM, Fazan-Jr R, Felipe JC. Automatic Processing of Histological Imaging to Aid Diagnosis of Cardiac Remodeling. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing. 1ed.: Springer International Publishing, p. 375-382, 2020.
5. Omoto ACM, do Carmo JM, da Silva AA, Salgado MC, Salgado HC, Fazan-Jr R, Hall JE. Cardiac function and exercise capability in female Goto-kakizaki type-2 diabetic rats after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. FASEB Journal, v.33, 2019.
6. Azami H, Da Silva LEV, Omoto ACM, Humeau-Heurtier A. Two-dimensional dispersion entropy: An information-theoretic method for irregularity analysis of images. Signal Processing-Image Communication, v.75, p.178 - 187, 2019.
7. Mendes AS, Blascke De Mello MM, Parente JM, Omoto ACM, Neto-Neves EM, Fazan R, Tanus-Santos JE, Castro MM. Verapamil decreases calpain-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 activities and improves hypertension-induced hypertrophic cardiac remodeling in rats. Life Sci, v. 117153, p. 117153, 2019.
8. Nakashima MA, Silva CBP, Gonzaga N, Omoto ACM, Tirapelli LF, Tanus-Santos JE, Tirapelli CR. Chronic ethanol consumption increases reactive oxygen species generation and the synthesis of pro-inflammatory proteins in the heart through TNFR1-dependent mechanisms. Cytokine, v.121, 2019.
9. Gava FN, da Silva AA, Ashraf S, Omoto ACM, Dai X, Pullman M, Harmancey R, Hall JE, do Carmo JM. Chronic intracerebroventricular leptin infusion attenuates cardiac dysfunction after myocardial infarction. FASEB Journal, v.33, 2019.
10. Humeau-Heurtier A, Omoto ACM, Silva LEV. Bi-dimensional multiscale entropy: relation with discrete Fourier transform and biomedical application. Comput Biol and Med, v. 100, p. 36-40, 2018.
11. Omoto ACM, Gava FN, Silva CAS, Silva HB, Parente JM, Costa RM, Castro-Mazaron M, Tostes RC, Salgado HC, Fazan Jr R. Lack of scarring is not always a sign of cardiac health: Functional and molecular characterization of the rat heart’s following chronic reperfusion. PLoS One, v.13, p.e0209190, 2018.

In 2020, I joined Dr. John E. Hall’s laboratory at the department of Physiology and Biophysics of the University of Mississippi Medical Center for my postdoctoral training. Due to my expertise in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury in rodents, Dr. Hall and I decided to investigate the effect of chronic central leptin infusion in animals with cardiac IR injury. This study resulted in a first-author manuscript recently published in the Journal of American Heart Association. I also have worked on multiple projects at Dr. Hall’s lab, resulting in the co-authorship of 1 review article, 9 manuscripts and 3 book chapters. I contributed to expanded our research team knowledge in 4D echocardiography technology and I was honored the Vevo Cardiovascular Research Award 2022 (FujiFilm, VisualSonics®). Most importantly, I have been given the opportunity by Dr. Hall to design independent research projects and, in 2021, I was awarded an AHA postdoctoral fellowship ($134,236.00). Currently, one of my research goals is to understand how the brain communicates with the heart to improve cardiac function post-IR during chronic central leptin infusion. At this stage of my career, my research interests have expanded beyond the scope of my prior training to investigate the role of brown adipose tissue-derived extracellular vesicles in mediating leptin’s cardiac protective effect. My long-term career goal is to become an independent, productive and innovative scientist within the field cardiovascular and integrative physiology at a research-intensive academic institution.

Original research published manuscripts and abstracts:

1. Mouton A, do Carmo JM, da Silva AA, Omoto ACM, Hall JE. Targeting immunometabolism during cardiiorenal injury: roles of conventional and alternative macrophage metabolic fuels. Front Physiol, 2023.
2. Mouton A, Aitken N, Moak S, do Carmo JM, da Silva AA, Omoto ACM, Li X, Wang Z, Hall JE. Temporal changes in glucose metabolism reflect polarization in resident and monocyte-derived macrophages after myocardial infarction. Front Cardiovasc Med, 2023.
3. Omoto ACM, Vechetti I, Rule B, do Carmo JM, da Silva AA, Aitken N, Dai X, Nelson B, Wang Z, Mouton A, Hall JE. Potential role of brown adipose tissue-derived extracellular vesicles in mediating the cardioprotective effect of CNS leptin infusion after ischemia/reperfusion injury. Am J Physiol, 2023.
4. do Carmo JM, Mouton A, Aitken N, Wang Z, Dai X, Larson KM, Omoto ACM, Li X, Hall JE, da Silva AA. Exacerbated renal dysfunction after acute kidney injury in offspring from obese parents. Am J Physiol, 2023.
5. da Silva AA, Dai X, Larson KM, Aitkens N, Omoto ACM, Wang Z, Li X, Mouton A, Hall JE, do Carmo JM. Does neonatal hyperoxia exacerbate hypertension in obese adult offspring from obese mothers? Am J Physiol, 2023.
6. Wang Z, Fu Y, Dai X, do Carmo JM, da Silva AA, Mouton A, Li X, Omoto ACM, Hall JE. The role of TRPC6 in unilateral ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury. Am J Physiol, 2023.
7. Mouton A, Aitken N, Bronw J, Standford JK, Rutledge AC,da Silva AA, do Carmo JM, Wang Z, Omoto ACM, Hall JE. Glutamine improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction independent of macrophage polarization. Am J Physiol, 2023.
8. Omoto ACM, do Carmo JM, Nelson B, Aitken N, Dai X, Moak S, Flynn E, Wang Z, Mouton AJ, Li X, Hall JE, Silva AA. Central nervous system actions of leptin improve cardiac function independent of sympathetic innervation after ischemia-reperfusion. J Am Heart Assoc, 2022.
9. Omoto ACM, do Carmo JM, Nelson B, Flynn E, Aitken N, Wang Z, Mouton AJ, Li X, Moak S, Dai X, Hall JE, da Silva AA. Role of Cardiac Sympathetic Nerves in Mediating the Central Nervous System Cardioprotective Effects of Leptin After Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury. AHA Scientific Sessions 2022, Res, 2022.
10. Omoto ACM, do Carmo JM, Nelson B, Flynn E, Aitken N, Wang Z, Mouton AJ, Li X, Moak S, Dai X, Hall JE, da Silva AA. Chronic Central Nervous System Leptin Infusion Improves Cardiac Function and Metabolism after Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury. EB 2022, FASEB Journal, v.36, 2022.
11. Nelson B, do Carmo JM, Hall JE, da Silva AA, Omoto ACM. High-Frequency 4D Ultrasound Evaluation of Temporal Changes in Endocardial Surface Strain after Myocardial Infarction. EB 2022, FASEB Journal, v.36, 2022.
12. Wang Z, do Carmo JM, da Silva AA, Fu Y, Jaynes LT, Jaylan Sears, Li X, Mouton A, Omoto ACM, Xu B, Hall JE. Transient receptor potential cation channel 6 (TRPC6) deficiency leads to increased body weight and metabolic dysfunction. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 2022.
13. Li X, Flynn ER, do Carmo JM, Wang Z, da Silva AA, Mouton A, Omoto ACM, Hall ME, Hall JE. Direct cardiac actions of Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibition improve mitochondrial function and attenuate oxidative stress in pressure overload-induced heart failure. Front Cardiovasc Med., 2022.
14. da Silva AA, Moak S, Dai X, Borges GC, Omoto ACM, Wang Z, Li X, Mouton A, Hall JE, do Carmo JM. Parental obesity alters offspring blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular responses to stress: role of P2X7R and sex differences. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 2022.
15. Wang Z, do Carmo JM, da Silva AA, Fu Y, Jaynes LT, Jaylan Sears, Li X, Mouton A, Omoto ACM, Hall JE. Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel 6 (TRPC6) Contributes to Kidney Injury Induced by Diabetes and Hypertension. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, 2022.
16. Omoto ACM, do Carmo JM, Li X, Wang Z, Mouton A, Aitken N, Moak S, Dai X, Hall JE, Silva AA. Chronic central nervous system leptin infusion increases cardiomyocyte mitochondrial function and biogenesis and improves cardiac function after ischemia/reperfusion injury. Basic and Cardiovascular Science Scientific Sessions – Circ Res, 2021.
17. do Carmo JM, Omoto ACM, Dai X, Moak S, Li X, Wang Z, Mouton A, Hall JE, da Silva AA. Sex differences in the impact of parental obesity on offspring cardiac SIRT3 expression mitochondrial efficiency and diastolic function early in life. Am J Physiol Heart and Circ Physiol, 2021.
18. Mouton A, Flynn ER, Moak SP, Aitken NM, Omoto ACM, Li x, da Silva AA, Wang Z, do Carmo JM, Hall JE. Dimethyl fumarate preserves left ventricular infarct integrity following myocardial infarction via modulation of cardiac macrophage and fibroblast oxidative metabolism. J Mol Cell Cardiol, 2021.
19. Gava FN, da Silva AA, Dai X, Harmacey R, Ashraf S, Omoto ACM, Salgado M, Moak SP, Hall JE, Do Carmo JM. Restauration of Cardiac Function After Myocardial Infarction by Long-Term Activation of the CNS Leptin-Melanocortin System. JAAC Basic Transl Sci, 2021.
20. Li X, Lu Q, Qiu Y, do Carmo JM, Wang Z, da Silva AA, Mouton A, Omoto ACM, Hall ME, Li J, Hall JE. Direct cardiac actions of the SGLT2 Inhibitor empagliflozin improve myocardial oxidative phosphorylation and attenuate pressure-overload heart failure. J Am Heart Assoc, 2021.
21. Hall JE, MoutonAJ, da SilvaAA,Omoto ACM, Wang Z, LiX, do CarmoObesity, kidney dysfunction, and inflammation: interactions in hypertension. Cardiovascular Research, 2020.
22. Omoto ACM,do Carmo JM, Flynn ER, MoakSP, LiX, MoutonAJ, Wang Z, Hall JE, da Silva Chronic central nervous system actions of leptin protect against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. AHA Scientific Sessions – Circ, 2020.

Book Chapters:

1. Hall JE, Omoto ACM, do Carmo JM, da Silva AA, Wang Z, Mouton AJ, Li X, Hall ME. Obesity and Hypertension. In: Handbook of Obesity 5^th Edition, Volume I: Edipemiology, Etiology and Physiopathology(under edition).
2. Hall JE, Hall ME, Omoto ACM, Wang Z, Mouton AJ, Li X. Pathogenesis of Hypertension. In Hypertension: A Companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease 4^th Edition(under edition).
3. Hall ME, Omoto ACM, do Carmo JM, da Silva AA, Hall JE. Obesity and Hypertension: Pathophysiology and Treatment. In Hypertension: A Companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease 4^th Edition(under edition).

Research Support

P20GM104357 Omoto, ACM 07/13/2022-07/12/2023
NIH Pilot Grants Program - Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) “Obesity, Cardiorenal and Metabolic Disease Center”
“Cardiac protection by CNS actions of leptin administration after ischemia/reperfusion”
Role: Principal Investigador

835218 Omoto, ACM 07/01/2021-06/30/2023
American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship
“Cardiac protection by CNS actions of leptin administration after ischemia/reperfusion”
Role: Principal Investigador

161564/2015-1 Omoto, ACM 08/01/2018-02/01/2019
CAPES-Brazil/USA
“Ischemia/reperfusion elicited by myocardial infarction in diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats”
Role: Doctoral fellowship sandwich program with the Dept. of Physiology – University of Mississippi Medical Center

161564/2015-1 Omoto, ACM 10/01/2015-11/01/2019 CNPq-Brazil
“Morphofunctional, histological and molecular characterization of Wistar rat’s heart after ischemia-reperfusion: stratification of myocardial lesions”
Role: Doctoral fellowship / Ph.D. degree.

2013/11372-6 Omoto, ACM 10/01/2013-04/30/2015 FAPESP-Brazil
“The role of oxytocin on the components of the MyomiR network in rats with sub-chronic aortic regurgitation treated with paroxetine”
Role: Predoctoral fellowship / MSc degree.

Complete list of published work:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/ana%20carolina%20mieko.omoto.1/bibliography/public/