Aline C Oliveira

Aline C Oliveira, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Department: MD-PHARMACOLOGY / THERAPEUTICS
Business Phone: (352) 273-9432
Business Email: aline.oliveira@ufl.edu

Accomplishments

2nd Place – Early Career Showcase
2023 · CICMD – University of Florida
2nd Place – Early Career Showcase
2019 · CICMD – University of Florida
Postdoctoral Fellowship
2019 · American Heart Association
Postdoctoral Fellowship (relinquished)
2019 · American Physiology Society
Best Poster Award
2018 · American Heart Association – Council on Hypertension
Training Enhancement Opportunity Award
2018 · MBI – University of Florida
2nd place in Eduardo Krieger Award in Basic Research
2014 · XXII Conference of Brazilian Society of Hypertension and XX Scientific session of the Interamerican Society of Hypertension.
Travel Award
2014 · XX InterAmerican Society of Hypertension

Research Profile

In the Oliveira Lab we are dedicated to understanding the brain’s pathogenic contribution to cardiopulmonary diseases, with a particular emphasis on pulmonary hypertension (PH). Our research aims to identify innovative therapeutic targets that could transform the current treatment for this debilitating condition.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive disease that affects the lung vasculature leading to right heart failure and an unacceptably high mortality rate. Despite major advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology, to date, we still have limited mechanistic insight into PH development and progression. Thus, despite advances in current therapies, there is no available cure and treatment has limited improvement in outcome. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches.

Our research has highlighted a critical role for activated microglia in neuroinflammation within key autonomic brain regions, especially the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. Our findings led us to hypothesize that activation of resident microglia and infiltrated myeloid precursors, promotes aberrant preautonomic neuronal signaling in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus contributing to sustained sympathetic activation, which is critical to PH.

To address these vital questions, we employ cutting-edge neuroscience techniques alongside established pulmonary hemodynamic and histological analyses. Our methodology includes live cell imaging in brain slices, right heart catheterization, and immunohistochemistry, complemented by validation studies in human tissues and cells.

Through this interdisciplinary approach, we aim to understand the brain’s pathogenic contributions to pulmonary hypertension and pave the way for groundbreaking therapeutic strategies that could improve patient outcomes.

Publications

Academic Articles
2023
ACE2 overexpression in corticotropin-releasing-hormone cells offers protection against pulmonary hypertension.
Frontiers in neuroscience. 17 [DOI] 10.3389/fnins.2023.1223733. [PMID] 37638323.
2023
Defining the age-dependent and tissue-specific circadian transcriptome in male mice.
Cell reports. 42(1) [DOI] 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111982. [PMID] 36640301.
2022
Fecal matter transplant from Ace2 overexpressing mice counteracts chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.
Pulmonary circulation. 12(1) [DOI] 10.1002/pul2.12015. [PMID] 35506083.
2021
Central Administration of Hydrogen Sulfide Donor NaHS Reduces Iba1-Positive Cells in the PVN and Attenuates Rodent Angiotensin II Hypertension.
Frontiers in neuroscience. 15 [DOI] 10.3389/fnins.2021.690919. [PMID] 34602965.
2020
Pulmonary arterial hypertension-associated changes in gut pathology and microbiota.
ERJ open research. 6(3) [DOI] 10.1183/23120541.00253-2019. [PMID] 32743008.
2020
Pulmonary hypertension: Pathophysiology beyond the lung.
Pharmacological research. 151 [DOI] 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104518. [PMID] 31730803.
2020
Transcriptomic signature of gut microbiome-contacting cells in colon of spontaneously hypertensive rats.
Physiological genomics. 52(3):121-132 [DOI] 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00087.2019. [PMID] 31869283.
2020
Would Repurposing Minocycline Alleviate Neurologic Manifestations of COVID-19?
Frontiers in neuroscience. 14 [DOI] 10.3389/fnins.2020.577780. [PMID] 33117121.
2019
Chemokine signaling axis between endothelial and myeloid cells regulates development of pulmonary hypertension associated with pulmonary fibrosis and hypoxia.
American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology. 317(4):L434-L444 [DOI] 10.1152/ajplung.00156.2019. [PMID] 31364370.
2019
Genetic deletion of the alamandine receptor MRGD leads to dilated cardiomyopathy in mice.
American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology. 316(1):H123-H133 [DOI] 10.1152/ajpheart.00075.2018. [PMID] 30339496.
2019
Microglial Cells Impact Gut Microbiota and Gut Pathology in Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension.
Circulation research. 124(5):727-736 [DOI] 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313882. [PMID] 30612527.
2018
Involvement of Microglial Cells in Hypoxia-induced Pulmonary Hypertension.
American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology. 59(2):271-273 [DOI] 10.1165/rcmb.2018-0042LE. [PMID] 30067089.
2018
Involvement of Neuroinflammation in the Pathogenesis of Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension.
Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979). 71(6):1156-1163 [DOI] 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.10934. [PMID] 29712738.
2013
Discovery and characterization of alamandine: a novel component of the renin-angiotensin system.
Circulation research. 112(8):1104-11 [DOI] 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.113.301077. [PMID] 23446738.

Grants

Jul 2024 ACTIVE
Neuroimmune axis contribution to the pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH
Apr 2023 – Jul 2024
Neuroimmune axis contribution to the pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NHLBI
Jan 2020 – Dec 2021
Involvement of Neuroinflammation in Pulmonary Hypertension
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: AMER HEART ASSOCIATION

Education

PhD in Physiology
2016 · Federal University of Minas Gerais
MSc in Physiology
2012 · Federal University of Minas Gerais
Bachelor in Physiotherapy
2010 · Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais

Contact Details

Phones:
Business:
(352) 273-9432
Emails:
Addresses:
Business Mailing:
PO Box 100267
GAINESVILLE FL 32610
Business Street:
PO Box 100267
1200 NEWELL DR
GAINESVILLE FL 32610