VAN DER LINDEN LAB

Alexander (Sander) van der Linden, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

avanderlinden@unr.edu

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.

Aja McDonagh, BSc

PhD Student

aja@nevada.unr.edu

2016 - present

Integrative Neuroscience (INP) Ph.D. student

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, BSc

Ph.D. Student

pmcintire@nevada.unr.edu

2020 - present

Integrative Neuroscience (INP) 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

Ph.D. Student

sam.alshareef@nevada.unr.edu

2019 - present

Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB) Ph.D. candidate

​

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 obtained my M.Sc. at UNR, and currently study the role of age-accumulated circular RNAs in transgenic C. elegans models for Alzheimers disease.