Zahra Mirzaei

Laboratory Coordinator
Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering
Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
Joined in 2007.

Contact Information
E-mail: z.mirzaei@utoronto.ca
Office Tel: 416-978-7365
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Research Summary
Training and assisting the students with their projects are parts of my job. My major project is to determine the signaling pathways involved in calcific aortic valve sclerosis. I am particularly interested in the mechanisms by which valve interstitial cells differentiate to calcifying phenotypes in response to mechanical stress.

Publications

  • Parvin Nejad Shouka, Lecce Monica, Mirani Bahram, Siquiera Nataly M., Mirzaei Zahra, Santerre J Paul., Davies John E., Simmons Craig A. Serum- and xeno-free culture of human umbilical cord perivascular cells for pediatric heart valve tissue engineering. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2023 | BioMed Central

  • Zhong, Aileen, Mirzaei, Zahra, Simmons, Craig A. The Roles of Matrix Stiffness and ß-Catenin Signaling in Endothelial-to- Mesenchymal Transition of Aortic Valve Endothelial Cells. Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology. 2018;9:158-167|Springer

  • Blaser MC, Wei K, Adams RLE, Zhou YQ, Caruso LL, Mirzaei Z, Lam AY, Tam RKK, Zhang H, Heximer SP, Henkelman RM, Simmons CA. Deficiency of Natriuretic Peptide Receptor 2 Promotes Bicuspid Aortic Valves, Aortic Valve Disease, Left Ventricular Dysfunction, and Ascending Aortic Dilatations in Mice. Circulation Research. 2018; 2(122): 405-416 | PubMed

  • Loai S, Haedicke I, Mirzaei Z, Simmons CA, Zhang XA, Cheng HL. Positive-contrast cellular MRI of embryonic stem cells for tissue regeneration using a highly efficient T1 MRI contrast agent. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2016; 44:1456-1463| PubMed

  • Plaza GR, Uyeda TQP, Mirzaei Z, Simmons CA. Study of the influence of actin-binding proteins using linear analyses of cell deformability. Soft Matter, 2015;11:5435-46. | PubMed

  • Sider KL, Zhu C, Kwong AV, Mirzaei Z, De Lange CFM, Simmons CA. Evaluation of a porcine model of early aortic valve sclerosis. Cardiovasc Pathol, 2014;23:289-97.| PubMed

  • Heckler AF, Mirzaei Z, Pereira I, Simmons CA, Gong S-G. Development of a three-dimensional in vitro model system to study orthodontic tooth movement. Arch Oral Biol, 2013;58:1498-1510.| PubMed

  • Wyss K, Yip CYY, Mirzaei Z, Jin X, Chen JH, Simmons CA. The elastic properties of valve interstitial cells undergoing pathological differentiation. J Biomech, 2012;45:882-887. Supplemental material.| PubMed

  • Yip CY, Blaser MC, Mirzaei Z, Zhong X, Simmons CA. Inhibition of pathological differentiation of valve interstitial cells by C-type natriuretic peptide. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 2011;31:1881-1889. Supplemental material| PubMed