Cameron McCarthy, Ph.D., FAHA
Principal Investigator
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Throughout my career, attenuation of cardiovascular diseases has been a consistent theme. Initially, this purpose was fulfilled through degrees in physical education and exercise science; however, since 2011 I have pursued my career in the biomedical sciences, with particular emphasis on integrative cardiovascular physiology and vascular biology. The Vascular and Integrative Physiology (VIP) Lab at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine is a continuation of these themes and through our research we strive to combat the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In my personal time I enjoy exploring parks with my family (Camilla, Emma, and Noah), trail running, and following the English Premier League and West Ham United Football Club.
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Current
1. National Institutes of Health (NIH) High Priority, Short Term Project Award (R56HL169223). Cerebrovascular O-GlcNAcylation worsens diabetes-associated neurovascular injury and recovery post-stroke.
2. NIH Pathway to Independence Award (R00HL151889). Autophagy regulates β-hydroxybutyrate synthesis to prevent hypertension-associated premature vascular aging, July 2020-December 2024.
3. NIH SCORE Improving awareness of women with hypertension: ROAR (Rural, Obese, At Risk) (U54HL169191). Pilot Grant: The Janus face of O-GlcNAcylation in female aortic compliance and stiffening.
4. University of South Carolina Office of Research ASPIRE Award (180950-23-64136). Autophagy-dependent lipids in vascular physiology.
Completed
1. NIH COBRE Center for Targeted Therapeutics (P20GM109091). Pilot Project: O-GlcNAcylation exacerbates aortic stiffness in aging.
2. NIH COBRE Center for Dietary Supplements and Inflammation (P20GM103641). Pilot Project: Ketone monoester supplementation is a novel anti-hypertensive therapy.
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Featured by the North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO) as “Lab of the Month” in September 2023
American Physiological Society (APS) Shih-Chun Wang Young Investigator Award, 2023
American Journal of Hypertension John Laragh Research Award, 2021
APS Cardiovascular Section Clinical Science Young Investigator Award Sponsored by Portland Press, 2021
Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) Council on Hypertension, 2020
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Meet Our Team
Carolyn Willmore
Lab Manager
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Carolyn holds a degree in Environmental Science and will be pursuing a Masters in Environmental Health at the University of South Carolina in Fall 2025. She earned her Bachelors of Science from the University of Mary Washington (UMW) in Virginia where her research focused on environmental toxicology. She also interned with FMC Corporation, an agricultural technologies company in Delaware, on their Discovery Ecotoxicology team. She has experience with a variety of environmental contaminants including excess nutrients, microplastics, trace metals, and endocrine disruptors, and has examined organismal endpoints from the perspectives of whole organisms down to cellular assays. In her free time she enjoys kayaking, hiking, and reading Stephen King.
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Ricardo Bernardino de Paula, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow
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Dr. Ricardo holds a degree in Biomedical Sciences and has directed his career towards scientific research. He earned a Ph.D. in Sciences (Human Physiology) from the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil, and worked as an Assistant Microscopy Technician at the Research Support Facilities Center in the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (CEFAP - ICB/USP). He has experience in cardiovascular physiology and confocal microscopy, with a focus on the vascular system, primarily investigating the role of perivascular innervation in controlling vascular tone in arterial hypertension.
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Miranda Hyatt
Master’s Student
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Miranda is a master’s degree student in the Biomedical Sciences Program through the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. She received her bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina in 2019. Currently, her focus in the lab is investigating lipid metabolism and its impacts on vascular contractility. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing The Sims with her fiancé, and spending time with her cats.
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Sean Nampoothiry
Undergraduate
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Sean is an undergraduate student pursuing the accelerated undergraduate to M.D program offered by the South Carolina Honors College here at the University of South Carolina. Sean joined the McCarthy lab in September 2023 and began working with Dr. Ricardo de Paula to establish a vasculature prep protocol that will allow for the isolation and mounting of animal retinas during our vasculature studies. He will be attending the university’s School of Medicine here in Columbia and is interested in specializing in ophthalmology after completion of his medical degree. In his free time, Sean enjoys hiking, watching Formula 1, and hanging out with friends.
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Delaney Johnson
Undergraduate
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Delaney Johnson is a current junior at the University of South Carolina Honors College studying Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Forensics. Outside of her studies, Delaney is involved in the USC Marching Band where she plays the saxophone, and she is a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi, the National Honorary Band Fraternity. She also currently works at the University as a Peer Tutor for Organic Chemistry and Calculus courses. Following her Bachelor’s degree, she plans to stay at USC to complete her M.E. in Biomedical Engineering, and then has plans to pursue a Doctoral Degree in Forensic Science.
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Alumni
| Name | Program | Current Position | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawren Tucker | 2023-2024 Lab Manager | ||
| Seth Hester | 2022-2023 Master Student | Research Specialist, Medical University of South Carolina | |
| Andrew Nielson | 2022-2023 Medical Student | Medical Student, University of South Carolina - Columbia | |
| Erica Trauner | 2022-2023 Undergraudate | Lab Manager, University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy | |
| Olivia Gary | 2023-2023 Medical Student | Medical Student, University of South Carolina - Columbia | |
| Scott Corley | 2022-2023 Medical Student | Medical Student, University of South Carolina - Columbia | |
| Jake Brezner | 2022-2023 Undergraduate | Undergraduate, University of South Carolina - Columbia | |
| Fênix Araujo | 2022-2023 Visiting Doctoral Student | Ph.D. candidate, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation – Bahia, Brazil | |
| Tiago da Costa | 2022-2024 Post Doctoral Fellow | Assistant Professor, University of Sao Paulo – Sao Paulo, Brazil | |
| Emily Wilson | 2022-2023 Lab Manager | Medical Student, Medical University of South Carolina |
Current Open Positions