VAN DER LINDEN LAB

Alexander (Sander) van der Linden

Principal Investigator

I am an Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. I obtained my Ph.D. from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, and completed my postdoctoral work in the lab of Prof. Piali Sengupta at Brandeis University, MA, where I studied the salt-inducible kinase (SIK) pathway and circadian rhythms in collaboration with Prof. Michael Rosbash using the roundworm C. elegans as my favorite model organism. My lab has a deep interest in understanding the neural and molecular basis of sleep and aging in both health and disease.

Brian Jorgensen

Postdoc

I obtained my Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Reno, and study the function and regulation of circular RNAs in organismal aging.

Aja McDonagh

PhD Student

2016 - present

Integrative Neuroscience Ph.D. candidate

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award (2016)

I obtained my B.Sc. in Neuroscience at the University of Nevada, Reno. I currently investigate the the role of diet and SIK3 signaling in the metabolic regulation of sleep.

Pearson McIntire

PhD Student

2020 - present

Integrative Neuroscience Ph.D. candidate

I obtained my B.Sc. in Neuroscience with a minor in Mathematics at the University of Nevada, Reno. I currently investigate sleep-metabolic interactions with a focus on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which cells that store energetic reserves communicate with sleep-regulating neurons to promote sleep.

Hussam (Sam) Alshareef

MSc Student

2019 - present

Cellular and Molecular Biology M.Sc. student

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I obtained my B.S. in Medical and Molecular Biology at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University in Boston, MA, with a minor in Pre-Medicine and Health Psychology. I study the role of age-accumulated circular RNAs in a transgenic C. elegans model for Alzheimers disease.