L Michel M Espinoza-Fonseca
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
Medical School
[email protected]

Available to mentor
L Michel M Espinoza-Fonseca
Associate Professor
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    About

    The goal of the Espinoza-Fonseca group is to understand the fundamental molecular motions and interactions that are responsible for regulating calcium transport in muscle cells, and to design effective molecular therapies to treat human diseases associated with dysregulation of calcium transport in heart failure. We approach these multidisciplinary problems with a combination of computational methods and experimental techniques.

    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Samuel and Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center
    Recent Publications See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Transmembrane Parkinson's disease mutation of PINK1 leads to altered mitochondrial anchoring
      Brassard R, Arutyunova E, Takyi E, Espinoza-Fonseca LM, Young HS, Touret N, Lemieux MJ. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2025 Mar 1; 301 (3): DOI:10.1016/j.jbc.2025.108253
      PMID: 39909370
    • Journal Article
      The endoplasmic reticulum luminal Ca<sup>2+</sup> regulates cardiac Ca<sup>2+</sup> pump function
      Bovo E, Nikolaienko R, Kahn D, Espinoza-Fonseca LM, Zima AV. PNAS Nexus, 2025 Feb 1; 4 (2): DOI:10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf045
    • Journal Article
      Machine Learning-Driven Discovery of Structurally Related Natural Products as Activators of the Cardiac Calcium Pump SERCA2a
      Cruz-Cortés C, Fernández-de Gortari E, Aguayo-Ortiz R, Šeflová J, Ard A, Clasby M, Anumonwo J, Michel Espinoza-Fonseca L. ChemMedChem, 2025 Jan 1; DOI:10.1002/cmdc.202400913
      PMID: 39853697
    • Preprint
      Paradoxical SERCA dysregulation contributes to atrial fibrillation in a model of diet-induced obesity.
      Ponce-Balbuena D, Tyrrell DJ, Cruz-Cortés C, Guerrero-Serna G, Da Rocha AM, Herron TJ, Song J, Raza DS, Anumonwo J, Goldstein DR, Espinoza-Fonseca LM. 2024 Aug 6; DOI:10.1101/2024.08.02.606385
      PMID: 39149279
    • Journal Article
      Phospholamban inhibits the cardiac calcium pump by interrupting an allosteric activation pathway
      Cleary SR, Seflova J, Cho EE, Bisht K, Khandelia H, Espinoza-Fonseca LM, Robia SL. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2024 May 1; 300 (5): DOI:10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107267
      PMID: 38583863
    • Journal Article
      Missense variants in phospholamban and cardiac myosin binding protein identified in patients with a family history and clinical diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy
      Armanious GP, Lemieux MJ, Espinoza-Fonseca LM, Young HS. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research, 2024 Apr 1; 1871 (4): DOI:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2024.119699
      PMID: 38387507
    • Journal Article
      Regulation of SERCA2a function by the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum luminal domain
      Bovo E, Nikolaienko R, Kahn D, Espinoza-Fonseca LM, Zima AV. Biophysical Journal, 2024 Feb 9; 123 (3): 104a DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2023.11.749
    • Journal Article
      Mechanisms for cardiac calcium pump activation by its substrate and a synthetic allosteric modulator using fluorescence lifetime imaging
      Šeflová J, Cruz-Cortés C, Guerrero-Serna G, Robia SL, Espinoza-Fonseca LM. PNAS Nexus, 2024 Jan 1; 3 (1): DOI:10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad453