Camilla F. Wenceslau, Ph.D., M.S., FAHA
Principal Investigator
I received my Master (2007) and PhD (2012) degrees in Human Physiology from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. During this time, I had the opportunity to train abroad at the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. I then went to Augusta University, Medical College of Georgia and joined the laboratory of Dr. Clinton Webb. I received a postdoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association, and I was subsequently awarded a K99/R00 grant from the NIH. In two years as an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) at the University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Science, Toledo, OH, I received my first R01 award from NHLBI, then I was recruited to a new endeavor at The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia, helping launch the Cardiovascular Translational Research Center (CTRC).
Currently, I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, CTRC, at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. My laboratory is interested in better understanding the mechanisms associated with vascular remodeling and injury prior to the onset of essential hypertension. We also study the mechanisms associated with vascular physiology and dysfunction in metabolic syndrome, aging, sepsis and drug abuse. Specifically, we developed an interest in the role of immunoreceptors, vasculature mechanics and hemodynamics.
In my free time I love spending time with my husband, Cameron (Cam) McCarthy, my kids Emma and Noah, and my dog Mac. I also love running, drinking coffee, gardening and exploring new Parks and National Forests.
Recent Highlights
Grant Funding
American Heart Association Harry Goldblatt Award for Early Career Investigators, Council on Hypertension and the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia (HBPRCA), 2022
Standing Member for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Integrative Vascular Physiology and Pathology Study Section (IVPP), 2021-2027
Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) conferred by the Council on Hypertension (HTN). Fellowship recognizes outstanding scientific contributions in hypertension to the American Heart Association or international society, 2020
The John Laragh Research Award, 2020 - The American Journal of Hypertension, 2020
Current
NIH/NHLBI (#1R01HL149762)Title: Formyl peptide receptor activation induces vascular plasticity and remodeling in hypertension
Alzheimer's Association Research Grant - New to the Field (AARG-NTF)
Institutional Funding – The University of South Carolina School Medicine
Completed
NIH/NIGMS (#R00GM118885) Title: Intrarenal Arteries Sense Trauma-derived Mitochondrial N-formyl Peptides Leading to Kidney Injury in SIRS
NIH/NIGMS K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award (#K99GM118885)
American Heart Association (AHA) (#14POST20490292) Postdoctoral Fellowship
Meet Our Team
Lab Manager
Paul Townsend is our lab manager who graduated from the University of South Carolina with both a B.S. and M.E. in Biomedical Engineering. He has worked in a variety of roles including software and website development and project management. He started his research career in our lab focusing his research on the effects of opioids on vascular dysfunction. Paul's long term goals include going to medical school and continuing research throughout his career.
Paul Townsend Jr, ME
Post Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Milene Tavares Fontes received a degree in Physical Education from the Federal University of Sergipe in Brazil, Master's Degree in Health Sciences (UFS), and Ph.D. at the Department of Human Physiology at the University of Sao Paulo (USP/Brazil) under the direction of Dr. Luciana Venturini Rossoni. Dr Fontes’ research focuses on understanding the damage that occurs in the perivascular adipose tissue during heart failure and the ability of exercise to mitigate cardiac damage. Dr. Fontes is currently working under Dr. Camilla Wenceslau at the Cardiovascular Translational Research Center at the Univerisy of South Carolina School of Medicine, and has diverse research interests related to vascular and inflammatory responses in arterial hypertension.
Milene Fontes, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Laena Pernomian is a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Camilla Wenceslau at the University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Columbia, SC. She received her Master's and Ph.D. at the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto at the University of São Paulo, Brazil and has more than 13 years of experience working in pharmacology with different models of cardiovascular disease in rats, mice, and rabbits. Dr. Pernomian has completed several postdoc positions at the University of São Paulo including in the Departments of Biochemistry and Immunology, Pharmacology, and Physics and Chemistry. Dr. Pernomian has completed many courses on the handling, care, and surgical procedures in rodents and has been trained to perform several techniques including in vitro vascular and cardiac studies and in vivo measurement of blood pressure. Dr. Pernomian has also accumulated much experience using advanced imaging techniques including more than 12 years in confocal microscopy, more than a year in super-resolution microscopy (multiphoton microscopy), three years of echocardiography in rats and mice, and a year using IVIS Fluorescence. One of her current topics has been the application of using in vivo lentivirus transfection to treat arterial hypertension in mice.
Laena Pernomian, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Carla Brigagão Pacheco da Silva graduated with a Pharmacy degree (UNIFAL-MG/Brazil), Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences (UNIFAL-MG/Brazil) and PhD in Toxicology (USP/Brazil). She is a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Currently, she is undertaking a research internship under the mentorship of Dr. Camilla Wenceslau at the Cardiovascular Translational Research Center at the University of South Carolina. During her master's degree, she worked in development and validation of analytical methods by liquid chromatography (LC-MS/MS). Her research focuses on understanding the toxic effects of ethanol consumption on the cardiovascular system, gut microbiota and immune system."
Carla Brigagão Pacheco da Silva, PhD
Doctoral Student
Emily Waigi is originally from Nairobi, Kenya. She received her Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Eldoret in Kenya. She was awarded the Fulbright Foreign Students Scholarship which sponsored her Masters degree in Molecular Medicine at the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Health Sciences under the supervision of Dr.Wenceslau. Currently, Emily is pursuing her PhD degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine under the supervision of Dr. Wenceslau. Her research is focused on understanding the peripheral vascular events that occur prior to and during the progression of Alzheimer's disease. This research not only constitutes the basis for the discovery of new therapeutic targets, but also forms a link between the pathophysiology of central and peripheral vascular diseases.
Emily Waigi
Paula Barros
Exchange Doctoral Student
Paula Barros is an intern PhD student from Brazil Medical School of Ribeirao Preto (FMRP-USP) working with the Wenceslau lab. Her research focuses on the role of OglcNacylation, a post-translational modification of proteins by the addition of a small sugar residue via an oxygen bond to the hydroxy group of serine and threonine residues, and its relation to endothelial cellular senescence and accelerated vascular aging. She has a strong background in managing and conducting clinical research trials as a study coordinator for 2 years (2014-2016) and with her continued education in her master’s (2016-2019) in vascular biology research. Her training ranges in studies conducting vascular reactivity with micro and large vessels, reactive oxygen species assays and western blot analyses of both vessels and adipose tissues. In her free time she’s a runner, bike lover and online gamer enthusiast!
Undergraduate Student
Ian Montandon is currently a sophomore undergraduate student studying Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience at the University of South Carolina. Recently, he presented posters at the 2022 American Heart Association National Conference and at the University of South Carolina Summer Research Symposium. He is involved in several extracurriculars including the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Trew Friends, and the gymnastics club associated with the University of South Carolina. He has also helped to organize serval functions including a diversity gala that brought in many biotech industry leaders, 100+ guests, and helped over 150 people to become national organ donors.
Ian Shiota Montandon
Alumni
| Name | Program | Current Position |
|---|---|---|
| Jonnelle M. Edwards | 2017-2021 Doctoral Student | Postdoctoral Fellow, Case Western Reserve University, Cardiology |
| Shaunak Roy | 2018-2020 Master Student 2020-2021 Medical Student |
Medical Student, University of Toledo College of Medicine |
| Soyoung Cheon | 2019-2021 Master Student | Medical Student, University of Toledo College of Medicine |
| Thaddaeus Castaneda | 2020-2021 Master Student | Osteopathic (DO) Student, University of Toledo College of Medicine |
| Vaishnavi Aradhyula | 2019-2020 Master Student | Medical Student, University of Toledo College of Medicine |
| Jeremy Tomcho | 2018-2020 Medical Student | Cardiology Fellow, University of Texax Medical Branch - Galveston |
| McKenna Martin | 2021-2021 Undergraduate | Undergraduate Student, Biological Sciences UofSC |
| Callie Clarke | 2022-2022 Medical Student | Medical Student, UofSC School of Medicine |
| Kawane Moura | 2022-2023 Fulbright Doctoral Student | Doctoral Student, State University of Londrina |
Current Open Positions