Fernanda Cristina Paccola Mesquita, Ph.D.

Instructor in Surgery

Email

fernanda.paccolamesquita@bcm.edu

Positions

Instructor in Surgery: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Baylor College of Medicine

Addresses

Regenerative Medicine Research Lab (Lab): 6770 Bertner Avenue
Houston, TX, 77030
United States

Education

PhD from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro

MSc from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro

BSc from State University of Maringá: Paraná

Professional Interests

Disease modeling
Cardiovascular Stem Cell Biology
Tissue engineering

Professional Statement

Dr. Fernanda Cristina Paccola Mesquita’s scientific journey has been driven by a profound curiosity about how the human heart develops, repairs itself, and ultimately fails in disease. Early in her training, she became captivated by the potential of stem cells to uncover mechanisms that are otherwise impossible to study in patients. This passion led her to pursue doctoral research focused on induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models of inherited cardiac disorders.

During her Ph.D. at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dr. Mesquita generated iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes from patients with type 2 long QT syndrome and employed CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to isolate the effects of the R534C KCNH2 mutation within an identical genetic background. This work strengthened her foundation in genomics, stem cell biology, and molecular engineering, while reinforcing her commitment to studying human cardiac physiology through innovative cell-based platforms.

Following her Ph.D., Dr. Mesquita joined The Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine, where her research expanded into tissue engineering. She developed a strong interest in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and its influence on cell fate, gaining specialized expertise in ECM-based strategies to enhance iPSC expansion and guide cardiac differentiation and maturation. Her first-authored studies demonstrated that decellularized ECM (dECM) from distinct heart regions can direct lineage outcomes in a region-specific manner, and that dECM powder alone can improve the metabolic maturation of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes early in differentiation.

Currently, Dr. Mesquita is pursuing a multifaceted approach to mature human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes by integrating ECM, metabolic, electrical, and mechanical cues. In addition, she investigates vascular endothelial dysfunction using patient-specific in vitro models and engineers mesenchymal stem cell–derived exosomes to treat cardiovascular disease and primary graft dysfunction following lung transplantation. Throughout her career, her overarching goal has remained consistent: to develop meaningful, human-relevant tools that bring regenerative therapies for the heart closer to reality.

Selected Publications

Ershad F, Rao Z, Maharajan S, Mesquita FCP, Ha J, Gonzalez L, Haideri T, Curty da Costa E, Moctezuma-Ramirez A, Wang Y, Jang S, Lu Y, Patel S, ..., Hochman-Mendez C, et al. " Bioprinted optoelectronically active cardiac tissues " Sci Adv. ;
Pubmed PMID: 39854455.
Mesquita FCP, King M, da Costa Lopez PL, Thevasagayampillai S, Gunaratne PH, Hochman-Mendez C. " Laminin Alpha 2 Enhances the Protective Effect of Exosomes on Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes in an In Vitro Ischemia-Reoxygenation Model " Int J Mol Sci. ;
Pubmed PMID: 38612582.
Mesquita FCP, Morrissey J, Monnerat G, Domont GB, Nogueira FCS, Hochman-Mendez C. " Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Powder Accelerates Metabolic Maturation at Early Stages of Cardiac Differentiation in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes " Cells Tissues Organs. ;
Pubmed PMID: 34933302.
Mesquita FCP, Leite ES, Morrissey J, Freitas C, Coelho-Sampaio T, Hochman-Mendez C. " Polymerized Laminin-521: A Feasible Substrate for Expanding Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells at a Low Protein Concentration " Cells. ;
Pubmed PMID: 36552719.
Morrissey J, Mesquita FCP, Chacon-Alberty L, Hochman-Mendez C. " Mining the Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Secretome in Patients with Chronic Left Ventricular Dysfunction " Cells. ;
Pubmed PMID: 35805175.
Hochman-Mendez C, Mesquita FCP, Morrissey J, da Costa EC, Hulsmann J, Tang-Quan K, Xi Y, Lee PF, Sampaio LC, Taylor DA. " Restoring anatomical complexity of a left ventricle wall as a step toward bioengineering a human heart with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac cells " Acta Biomater. ;
Pubmed PMID: 34936938.
Mesquita FCP, Morrissey J, Lee PF, Monnerat G, Xi Y, Andersson H, Nogueira FCS, Domont GB, Sampaio LC, Hochman-Mendez C, Taylor DA. " Cues from human atrial extracellular matrix enrich the atrial differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes " Biomater Sci. ;
Pubmed PMID: 33861819.
Maciel L, de Oliveira DF, Mesquita F, Souza HADS, Oliveira L, Christie MLA, Palhano FL, Campos de Carvalho AC, Nascimento JHM, Foguel D. " New Cardiomyokine Reduces Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by PI3K-AKT Pathway Via a Putative KDEL-Receptor Binding " J Am Heart Assoc. ;
Pubmed PMID: 33372525.
Mesquita FCP, Arantes PC, Kasai-Brunswick TH, Araujo DS, Gubert F, Monnerat G, Silva Dos Santos D, Neiman G, Leitão IC, Barbosa RAQ, Coutinho JL, Vaz IM, Dos Santos MN, Borgonovo T, Cruz FES, Miriuka S, Medei EH, Campos de Carvalho AC, Carvalho AB. " R534C mutation in hERG causes a trafficking defect in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes from patients with type 2 long QT syndrome " Sci Rep. ;
Pubmed PMID: 31844156.
Paccola Mesquita FC, Hochman-Mendez C, Morrissey J, Sampaio LC, Taylor DA. " Laminin as a Potent Substrate for Large-Scale Expansion of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in a Closed Cell Expansion System " Stem Cells Int. ;
Pubmed PMID: 30805013.

Memberships

American Heart Association

International Society of Stem Cell Research

International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation

Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society