Babicheva

Aleksandra Babicheva, PhD

Assistant Professor
Pulmonary Vascular Diseases
Telephone Number
507-437-9611

Biography

Dr. Aleksandra Babicheva is an Assistant Professor and leader of the Pulmonary Vascular Diseases section at The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota. Dr. Babicheva received her PhD in Physiology at the Astrakhan State University in Russia with a focus on the pathophysiology of serotonin receptors in rats with traumatic shock. 

She completed her first postdoctoral training in lung pathobiology at the Department of Medicine, University of Arizona. Using animal models and human specimens, she discovered that the hypoxia-inducible factor-2α regulates endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition contributing to the development of pulmonary vascular remodeling and angioobliterative lesions in pulmonary hypertension. 

Then Dr. Babicheva moved to the University of California San Diego to continue her postdoctoral training where she identified the pathogenic role of microRNA-29b in the downregulation of potassium channels in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells from patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. 

Current studies in her lab at The Hormel Institute focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms of pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension to discover new targets for developing novel therapeutically effective treatments in patients.

Education

  • 2014-2019: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Medicine, Division of Translation and Regenerative Medicine, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
  • 2009-2010: PhD in Physiology, Astrakhan State University, Russia
  • 2007-2009: MS in Physiology, Astrakhan State University, Russia
  • 2001-2006: BS in Biology, Astrakhan State Technical University, Russia 

Professional Memberships

  • 2016: Member, The American Thoracic Society
  • 2016: Member, The American Physiological Society
  • 2016: Member, The American Heart Association

 

Research Interests

  • Pathogenic Mechanisms of Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
  • Ion Channels in Smooth Muscle and Endothelial Cells
  • Ca2+ Signaling and Intracellular Calcium Regulation
  • Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling
  • MicroRNA-mediated Cell Functions

Awards

  • 2021: New Faculty Boot Camp, American Thoracic Society
  • 2020-2021: Postdoctoral Fellowship, American Heart Association
  • 2018: Caroline tum Suden/Frances Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award, American Physiological Society
  • 2017: The Abstract Scholarship, American Thoracic Society
  • 2016: The Best Postdoctoral Poster Award, Arizona Physiological Society

Publications

  1. Song S, Yamamura A, Yamamura H, Babicheva A, Ayon RJ, Dash S, Sun X, Tang H, Black SM, Desai AA, Rischard F, McDermott KM, Makino A, and Yuan JXJ. Capsaicin-induced Ca2+ signaling is enhanced via overexpressed TRPV1 channels in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells from patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 312: L309-L325, 2017.
  2. Tang H*, Babicheva A*, McDermott KM, Gu Y, Ayon RJ, Song S, Wang Z, Gupta A, Zhou T, Sun X, Dash S, Wang Z, Balistrieri A, Zheng Q, Cordery AG, Desai AA, Rischard F, Khalpey Z, Wang J, Black SM, Garcia JGN, Makino A, and Yuan JXJ. Endothelial HIF-2α contributes to severe pulmonary hypertension due to endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 314: L256-L275, 2018. (*These authors contributed equally to this study)
  3. Song, S, Carr SG, McDermott KM, Rodriguez M, Babicheva A, Balistrieri A, Ayon RJ, Wang J, Makino A, and Yuan JXJ. STIM2-mediated increase in resting [Ca2+]cyt stimulates PASMC proliferation in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Hypertension. 71: 518-529, 2018.
  4. Ranchoux B, Harvey LD, Ayon RJ, Babicheva A, Bonnet S, Chan SY, Yuan JXJ, and de Jesus Perez V. Endothelial dysfunction in pulmonary arterial hypertension: An evolving landscape. Pulm Circ. 8: 1-17, 2018.
  5. Babicheva A. and Yuan JXJ. Endothelial Notch1 in pulmonary arterial hypertension: friend or foe? Circ Res. 124: 176-179, 2019.
  6. Wang Z, Yang K, Zheng Q, Zhang C, Tang H, Babicheva A, Jiang Q, Li M, Chen Y, Carr SG, Wu K, Zhang Q, Balistrieri A, Wang C, Song S, Ayon RJ, Desai AA, Black SM, Garcia JGN, Makino A, Yuan JXJ, Lu W, and Wang J. Divergent changes of p53 in pulmonary arterial endothelial and smooth muscle cells involved in the development of pulmonary hypertension. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 316: L216-L228, 2019.
  7. Babicheva A, Zhao T, and Yuan JXJ. KCNK3 channel: a new player in the field of pulmonary vascular disease. Circ Res. 125: 696-698, 2019.
  8. Sun X, Sun BL, Babicheva A, Vanderpool RR, Oita RC, Casanova N, Tang H, Gupta A, Lynn H, Gupta G, Rischard F, Sammani S, Kempf CL, Moreno-Vinasco L, Ahmed M, Camp SM, Wang J, Desai AA, Yuan JXJ, Garcia JGN. Direct eNAMPT involvement in pulmonary hypertension and vascular remodeling: transcriptional regulation by SOX and HIF2α. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 63(1): 92-103, 2020.
  9. Song S, Babicheva A, Zhao T, Ayon RJ, Rodriguez M, Rahimi S, Balistrieri F, Harrington A, Shyy JY, Thistlethwaite PA, Makino A, Yuan JXJ. Notch enhances Ca2+ entry by activating calcium-sensing receptors and inhibiting voltage-gated K+Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 318: C954-C968, 2020.
  10. Babicheva A, Ayon RJ, Zhao T, Ek Vitorin JF, Pohl NM, Yamamura A, Yamamura H, Quinton BA, Ba M, Wu L, Ravellette KS, Rahimi S, Balistrieri F, Harrington A, Vanderpool RR, Thistlethwaite PA, Makino A, Yuan JXJ. MicroRNA-mediated downregulation of K+ channels in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 318: L10-L26, 2020.
  11. Wu K, Tang H, Lin R, Carr S, Wang Z, Babicheva A, Ayon RJ, Jain PP, Xiong M, Rodriguez M, Rahimi S, Balistrieri F, Rahimi S, Valdez-Jasso D, Simonson T, Desai, Garcia J, Shyy J, Thistlethwaite P, Wang J, Makino A, Yuan JXJ. Endothelial PDGF-mediated activation of smooth muscle PDGF receptors in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Pulm Circ. 10(3): 2045894020948470, 2020.
  12. Jain PP, Hosokawa S, Xiong M, Babicheva A, Zhao T, Rodriguez M, Rahimi S, Balistrieri F, Lai N, Shyy J, Valdez-Jasso D, Thistlethwaite P, Makino A, Yuan JXJ. Revisiting the mechanism of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction using isolated perfused/ventilated mouse lung. Pulm Circ. 10(4): 2045894020956592, 2020.
  13. Romanoski CE, Qi X, Sangam S, Vanderpool RR, Stearman RS, Conklin A, Gonzalez-Garay M, Rischard F, Ayon RJ, Wang J, Simonson T, Babicheva A, Shi Y, Tang H, Makino A, Y K, Geraci MW, Garcia JGN, Yuan JXJ, Desai AA. Transcriptomic profiles in pulmonary arterial hypertension associate with disease severity and identify novel candidate genes. Pulm Circ. 10(4): 2045894020968531, 2020.
  14. Gassmann M, Cowburn A, Gu H, Li J, Rodriguez M, Babicheva A, Jain PP, Xiong M, Gassmann NN, Yuan JXJ, Wilkins MR, Zhao L. Hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension – utilising experiments of nature. Br J Pharmacol. 178(1): 121-131, 2021.
  15. Babicheva A, Makino A, Yuan JXJ. mTOR signaling in pulmonary vascular disease: pathogenic role and therapeutic target. Int J Mol Sci. 22: 2144, 2021.
  16. Jain PP, Zhao T, Xiong M, Song S, Lai N, Chen J, Carr S, Babicheva A, Rodriguez M, Rahimi S, Balistrieri F, Rahimi S, Simonson T, Valdez-Jasso D, Thistlethwaite P, Shyy J, Wang J, Makino A, Yuan JXJ. Halofuginone, a promising drug for treatment of pulmonary hypertension. Br J Pharmacol. 178(17): 3373-3394, 2021.
  17. Rodriguez M, Chen J, Jain PP, Babicheva A, Xiong M, Li J, Lai N, Zhao T, Hernandez M, Balistrieri A, Parmisano S, Simonson T, Breen E, Valdez-Jasso D, Thistlethwaite PA, Shyy JYJ, Wang J, Garcia JGN, Makino A, Yuan JXJ. Upregulation of calcium homeostasis modulators in contractile-to-proliferative phenotypical transition of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells. Front Physiol. 12: 714785, 2021.
  18. Xiong M, Jain PP; Chen J, Babicheva A, Zhao T, Kim N, Lai N, Rodriguez M, Shyy JYJ, Thistlethwaite PA, Makino A, Li J, Valdez-Jasso D, Wang J, Alotaibi M, Izadi A, Balistrieri A, Balistrieri F, Parmisano S, Sun, X, Yuan JXJ. Mouse model of experimental pulmonary hypertension: lung angiogram and right heart catheterization. Pulm Circ. 11(4): 20458940211041512, 2021.
  19. Jain PP, Lai N, Xiong M, Chen J, Babicheva A, Zhao T, Parmisano S, Zhao M, Paquin C, Matti M, Powers R, Balistrieri A, Kim NH, Valdez-Jasso D, Thistlethwaite PA, Shyy JYJ, Wang J, Garcia JGN, Makino A, Yuan JXJ. TRPC6, a therapeutic target for pulmonary hypertension. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 321(6): L1161-L1182, 2021.
  20. Wang Z, Chen J, Babicheva A, Jain PP, Rodriguez M, Ayon RJ, Ravellette KS, Wu L, Balistrieri F, Tang H, Wu X, Zhao T, Black SM, Desai AA, Garcia JGN, Sun X, Shyy JYJ, Valdez-Jasso D, Thistlethwaite PA, Makino A, Wang J, Yuan JXJ. Endothelial upregulation of mechanosensitive channel piezo1 in pulmonary hypertension. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 321(6): C1010-C1027, 2021.
  21. Chen J, Rodriguez M, Miao J, Liao J, Jain PP, Zhao M, Zhao T, Babicheva A, Wang Z, Parmisano S, Powers R, Matti M, Paquin C, Shyy JYJ, Thistlethwaite PA, Makino A, Wang J, and Yuan JXJ. Mechanosensitive channel Piezo1 is required for pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 322(5): L737-L760, 2022.
  22. Jain PP, Hosokawa S, Babicheva A, Zhao TT, Chen J, Thistlethwaite PA, Makino A, and Yuan JXJ. In vivo and ex vivo experimental approach for studying functional role of notch in pulmonary vascular disease. Methods Mol Biol. 2472: 209-220, 2022.