Kambiz Alavian Lab

Kambiz N. Alavian

Reader in Neuroscience
Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London
Hammersmith Hospital ■ Du Cane Road ■ London, UK ■ W12 0NN
Tel: 020 7594 7006 ■ Email: k.alavian@imperial.ac.uk ■ http://alavianlab.org/

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Academic Appointments

2023 – Reader in Neuroscience (Tenured), Imperial College London, Department of Brain Sciences, London, UK
2020 – Associate Professor Adjunct, Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, New Haven, CT
2020 – 2023 Senior Lecturer (Tenured Associate Professor), Imperial College London, Department of Brain Sciences, London, UK
2013 – 2020 Lecturer (Assistant Professor), Imperial College London, Department of Brain Sciences, London, UK
2013 – 2020 Assistant Professor Adjunct, Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, New Haven, CT
2010 – 2013 Associate Research Scientist, Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, New Haven, CT
2008 – 2010 Postdoctoral Associate, Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, New Haven, CT
2006 – 2008 Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA

Other Professional Appointments & Leadership

2024 – Director of Education, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London
2023 – Lead PI: Global Ageing Research Consortium (UK–North America)
2022 – Joint Director: Muscle Resilience Across the Life Course (MyAge) Network
2022 – Deputy Director: UK Ageing Research Network

Education

2006 PhD, Neuroscience, University of Heidelberg, Germany
2003 MSc, Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL
2021 MEd, University Learning and Teaching, Imperial College London
2001 BSc, Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL

Honours & Awards

2022 – Fellow of the Linnean Society of London (FLS)
2020 – Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB)
2018 – Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
2017 & 2018 Whitman Center Research Fellow, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
2016 – 2018 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
2012 The Young Bioenergeticist Award, Biophysical Society
2007 – 2008 Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Fellow, Harvard Medical School
2007 – 2008 Member of AAAS/Science Program for Excellence in Science
2002 – 2003 Dean’s Scholarship Recipient, Illinois Institute of Technology
1999 – 2001 Member of Honors College, University of Illinois
1998 – 1999 Member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society

Editorial Positions

2020 – Founding Editor in Chief, Brain Disorders (Elsevier)
2020 – Editorial Board Member, Translational Oncology (Elsevier)
2019 – Editorial Board Member, The FASEB Journal
2013 – Editorial Board Member, Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group)
2010 – 2013 Editor, Frontiers in Bioscience

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Abulimiti A, Bae H, Ali A, Balakrishnan S, Tsujishita M, Gveric D, Jonas EA, Tierney TS, Smith PJS, Gengleman S, Alavian KN. (2025). Reduced DJ-1-F1Fo ATP synthase association correlates with midbrain dopaminergic neuron vulnerability in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. Science Advances, 11(23), eads3051. doi:10.1126/sciadv.ads3051. Press release.
Licznerski P, Abulimiti A, Ali A, Benzal Bardaji J, Saccetti S, … Gribkoff V, Hardwick JM, Alavian KN* and Jonas EA. Bcl-xL-induced mitochondrial metabolic efficiency is required for Hebbian plasticity. Revision Submitted (co-corresponding author).
Ali A, Shanmuganathan B, Xiang J, Abulimiti A, Bae H, Tsujitsa M, Nemeth B, Barkoulas M, Alavian KN. (2025). Mitochondrial polarization and redox homeostasis couple glycolysis-to-OXPHOS metabolic rewiring to lifespan extension in C. elegans. Micropublication Biology (Accepted).
Alavian KN. (2025). Paradigm shifts as portals to threshold concepts and epistemic transformation. Educational Philosophy and Theory. doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2025.2531936.
Short E, Huckstepp R, Alavian K, Amoaku W, Barber TM, van Beek EJR, et al. (2025). International Consortium to Classify Ageing-Related Pathologies (ICCARP) – Senescence Definitions: Achieving International Consensus. GeroScience. doi.org/10.1007/s11357-025-01509-9.
Short E, Adcock IM, Al-Sarireh B, Ager A, Ajjan R, Akbar N, Akeroyd MA, Alsaleh G, Al-Sharbatee G, Alavian K, Amoaku W, et al. (2024). Defining an ageing-related pathology, disease or syndrome: International Consensus Statement. GeroScience. doi.org/10.1007/s11357-024-01315-9.
MacColl Garfinkel A, Mnatsakanyan N, Patel JH, Wills AE, Shteyman A, Smith PJS, Alavian KN, Jonas EA, Khokha MK. (2023). Mitochondrial leak metabolism induces the Spemann-Mangold Organizer via Hif-1α. Developmental Cell. doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2023.08.015.
Sharifi P, Bae H, Gveric D, Gentleman SM, Smith PJS, Tierney TS, Alavian KN. (2022). CAV2.3 expression is upregulated in the substantia nigra pars compacta of humans with Parkinson’s disease. Brain Disorders, 5:100031.
Tierney TS, Alavian KN, Altman N, Bhatia S, Duchowny M, Hyslop A, Jayakar P, Resnick T, Wang S, Miller I, Ragheb J. (2022). Initial experience with magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound stereotactic surgery for central brain lesions in young adults. Journal of Neurosurgery, 1–8.
Sandrone S, Alavian KN. (2021). Threshold Concepts in Neuroscience: Identification Challenges, Educational Opportunities and Recommendations for Practice. Frontiers in Education, 5.
Niu Y, Moghimyfiroozabad S, Moghimyfiroozabad A, Tierney TS, Alavian KN. (2021). The factors for the early and late development of midbrain dopaminergic neurons segregate into two distinct evolutionary clusters. Brain Disorders, 1:100002.
Alavian KN, Yu J-T. (2021). Disorders of the brain, paradoxes of the enigma (Editorial). Brain Disorders, 1:100003.
Weinert M, Millet A, Jonas EA, Alavian KN. (2019). The mitochondrial metabolic function of DJ-1 is modulated by 14-3-3β. FASEB Journal, fj201802754R.
Mallach A, Weinert M, Arthur J, Gveric D, Tierney TS, Alavian KN. (2019). Post mortem examination of Parkinson’s disease brains suggests decline in mitochondrial biomass, reversed by deep brain stimulation of subthalamic nucleus. FASEB Journal, fj201802628R. Press release.
Fang Y, Liu C, Lin J, Li X, Alavian KN, Yang Y, Niu Y. (2019). PhySpeTree: an automated pipeline for reconstructing phylogenetic species trees. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 19:219.
Chen R, Park HA, Mnatsakanyan N, Niu Y, Licznerski P, Wu J, Miranda P, Graham M, Tang J, Boon AJW, Cossu G, Mandemakers W, Bonifati V, Smith PJS, Alavian KN, Jonas EA. (2019). Parkinson’s disease protein DJ-1 regulates ATP synthase protein components to increase neuronal process outgrowth. Cell Death & Disease, 10:469.
Park HA, Licznerski P, Mnatsakanyan N, Niu Y, Sacchetti S, Wu J, Polster BM, Alavian KN, Jonas EA. (2019). Inhibition of Bcl-xL prevents pro-death actions of ΔN-Bcl-xL at the mitochondrial inner membrane during glutamate excitotoxicity. Cell Death & Differentiation.
Niu Y, Moghimyfiroozabad S, Safaie S, Yang Y, Jonas EA, Alavian KN. (2019). Phylogenetic Profiling of Mitochondrial Proteins and Integration Analysis of Bacterial Transcription Units Suggest Evolution of F1Fo ATP Synthase from Multiple Modules. Journal of Molecular Evolution.
Niu Y, Liu C, Moghimyfiroozabad S, Yang Y, Alavian KN. (2017). PrePhyloPro: phylogenetic profile-based prediction of whole proteome linkages. PeerJ, 5:e3712.
Jonas EA, Porter GA, Beutner G, Mnatsakanyan N, Park HA, Mehta N, Chen R, Alavian KN. (2017). The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore: Molecular Structure and Function in Health and Disease. In Molecular Basis for Mitochondrial Signaling (Ed. Rostovtseva TK). Springer International Publishing: 69–105.
Beutner G, Alavian KN, Jonas EA, Porter GA Jr. (2017). The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore and ATP Synthase. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, 240:21–46.
Mnatsakanyan N, Beutner G, Porter GA, Alavian KN, Jonas EA. (2017). Physiological roles of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes.
Jonas EA, Porter GA, Beutner G, Mnatsakanyan N, Alavian KN. (2016). The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore, the c-Subunit of the F1Fo ATP Synthase, Cellular Development, and Synaptic Efficiency. In The Functions, Disease-Related Dysfunctions, and Therapeutic Targeting of Neuronal Mitochondria. John Wiley & Sons, Inc: 31–64.
Weinert M, Selvakumar T, Tierney TS, Alavian KN. (2015). Isolation, culture and long-term maintenance of primary mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons from embryonic rodent brains. Journal of Visualized Experiments.
Selvakumar T, Alavian KN, Tierney TS. (2015). Analysis of Gene Expression Changes in the Rat Hippocampus After Deep Brain Stimulation of the Anterior Thalamic Nucleus. Journal of Visualized Experiments, e52457.
Park HA, Licznerski P, Alavian KN, Shanabrough M, Jonas EA. (2015). Bcl-xL is necessary for neurite outgrowth in hippocampal neurons. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, 22:93–108.
Licznerski P, Duric V, Banasr M, Alavian KN, Ota KT, Kang HJ, Jonas EA, Ursano R, Krystal JH, Duman RS, Traumatic Stress Brain Study G. (2015). Decreased SGK1 Expression and Function Contributes to Behavioral Deficits Induced by Traumatic Stress. PLoS Biology, 13:e1002282.
Jonas EA, Porter GA Jr., Beutner G, Mnatsakanyan N, Alavian KN. (2014). Cell death disguised: The mitochondrial permeability transition pore as the c-subunit of the FF ATP synthase. Pharmacological Research.
Cotroneo E, Ashek A, Wang L, Wharton J, Dubois OD, Bozorgi SS, Busbridge M, Alavian KN, Wilkins MR, Zhao L. (2014). Iron Homeostasis and Pulmonary Hypertension: Iron Deficiency Leads to Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling in the Rat. Circulation Research.
Alavian KN, Dworetzky SI, Bonanni L, Zhang P, Sacchetti S, Mariggio MA, Onofrj M, Thomas A, Li H, Mangold JE, Signore AP, Demarco U, Demady DR, Nabili P, Lazrove E, Smith PJ, Gribkoff VK, Jonas EA. (2012). Effects of dexpramipexole on brain mitochondrial conductances and cellular bioenergetic efficiency.Brain Research, 1446:1–11.
Sanchez CE, Tierney TS, Gale JT, Alavian KN, Sahin A, Lee JS, Mulligan RC, Carter BS. (2011). Recombinant adeno-associated virus type 2 pseudotypes: comparing safety, specificity, and transduction efficiency in the primate striatum.Journal of Neurosurgery, 114:672–680.
Chen YB, Aon MA, Hsu YT, Soane L, Teng X, McCaffery JM, Cheng WC, Qi B, Li H, Alavian KN, Dayhoff-Brannigan M, Zou S, Pineda FJ, O’Rourke B, Ko YH, Pedersen PL, Kaczmarek LK, Jonas EA, Hardwick JM. (2011). Bcl-xL regulates mitochondrial energetics by stabilizing the inner membrane potential.Journal of Cell Biology, 195:263–276.
Alavian KN, Li H, Collis L, Bonanni L, Zeng L, Sacchetti S, Lazrove E, Nabili P, Flaherty B, Graham M, Chen Y, Messerli SM, Mariggio MA, Rahner C, McNay E, Shore GC, Smith PJ, Hardwick JM, Jonas EA. (2011). Bcl-xL regulates metabolic efficiency of neurons through interaction with the mitochondrial F1FO ATP synthase.Nature Cell Biology, 13:1224–1233.
Vahedi S, Rajabian M, Misaghian A, Grbec D, Simon HH, Alavian KN. (2010). Parkinson’s disease candidate gene prioritization based on expression profile of midbrain dopaminergic neurons.Journal of Biomedical Science, 17:66.
Chung CY, Licznerski P, Alavian KN, Simeone A, Lin Z, Martin E, Vance J, Isacson O. (2010). The transcription factor orthodenticle homeobox 2 influences axonal projections and vulnerability of midbrain dopaminergic neurons.Brain, 133:2022–2031.
Simon HH, Alavian KN. (2009). Transcriptional regulation of their survival: the Engrailed homeobox genes. In Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 651:66–72.
Pruszak J, Ludwig W, Blak A, Alavian K, Isacson O. (2009). CD15, CD24, and CD29 define a surface biomarker code for neural lineage differentiation of stem cells.Stem Cells, 27:2928–2940. Alavian KN, Simon HH. (2009). Linkage of cDNA expression profiles of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons to a genome-wide in situ hybridization database.Molecular Neurodegeneration, 4:6.
Alavian KN, Sgado P, Alberi L, Subramaniam S, Simon HH. (2009). Elevated P75NTR expression causes death of engrailed-deficient midbrain dopaminergic neurons by Erk1/2 suppression.Neural Development, 4:11.
Alavian KN, Scholz C, Simon HH. (2008). Transcriptional regulation of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons: the full circle of life and death.Movement Disorders, 23:319–328.
Sgado P, Alberi L, Gherbassi D, Galasso SL, Ramakers GM, Alavian KN, Smidt MP, Dyck RH, Simon HH. (2006). Slow progressive degeneration of nigral dopaminergic neurons in postnatal Engrailed mutant mice.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS), 103:15242–15247.
Thuret S, Alavian KN, Gassmann M, Lloyd CK, Smits SM, Smidt MP, Klein R, Dyck RH, Simon HH. (2004). The neuregulin receptor ErbB4 is not required for normal development and adult maintenance of the substantia nigra pars compacta.Journal of Neurochemistry, 91:1302–1311.
POLICY AND POSITION PAPERS
Alavian KN, Clarke I, Godfrey K, Gray J, Greig C, Mant A, McGettrick H, Piasecki M, Richards G, Robinson E. (2025). Network achievements – Muscle resilience across the life course: from cells to society. doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/P1230.
Alavian K, Godfrey K, Gray J, Greig C, Lillycrop K, Mant A, et al. (2023). Muscle resilience across the life course: from cells to society – Value proposition.
Greig C, Alavian K, Godfrey K, Gray J, Lillycrop K, Mant A, et al. (2023). A Roadmap for transformative research in healthy ageing.
Piasecki M, Alavian KN, Sengers Gray J, Lillycrop K, Mant A, Smith P, et al. (2023). A lifelong approach to muscle resilience: implications for policy and practice.