Summary
Dr. Kambiz Alavian is a Reader in Neuroscience in the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London. He is also an Associate Professor Adjunct of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. He received his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Heidelberg and completed postdoctoral trainings at Harvard and Yale. He currently investigates mitochondrial bioenergetics and cell death and their implications in neurological disorders and cancer.
Mitochondria perform several critical functions including cellular energy production and initiation of cellular apoptosis. Resistance to mitochondrial cell death is one of the main features of cancer cells and mitochondrial dysfunction, including changes in the structural integrity of mitochondria, disruption of energy metabolism and abnormal calcium (Ca2 ) buffering, has been implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. The current scientific interests of Dr. Alavian’s group include the study of basic molecular mechanisms leading to such dysfunctions and translation of these findings to novel therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative conditions and cancer.
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
MacColl Garfinkel A, Mnatsakanyan N, Patel JH, et al., 2023, Mitochondrial leak metabolism induces the Spemann-Mangold Organizer via Hif-1α in Xenopus, Developmental Cell, ISSN:1534-5807
Sharifi P, Bae H, Gveric D, et al., 2022, CAV2.3 expression is upregulated in the substantia nigra pars compacta of humans with Parkinson's disease, Brain Disorders, Vol:5, ISSN:2666-4593, Pages:1-3
Tierney TS, Alavian KN, Altman N, et al., 2021, Initial experience with magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound stereotactic surgery for central brain lesions in young adults, Journal of Neurosurgery, Vol:137, ISSN:0022-3085, Pages:760-767
Sandrone S, Alavian KN, 2021, Threshold concepts in neuroscience: identification challenges, educational opportunities and recommendations for practice, Frontiers in Education, Vol:5, ISSN:2504-284X, Pages:1-7
Niu Y, Moghimyfiroozabad S, Moghimyfiroozabad A, et al., 2021, The factors for the early and late development of midbrain dopaminergic neurons segregate into two distinct evolutionary clusters, Brain Disorders, Vol:1, ISSN:2666-4593, Pages:1-8
Weinert M, Millet A, Jonas EA, et al., 2019, The mitochondrial metabolic function of DJ-1 is modulated by 14-3-3β, The FASEB Journal, Vol:33, ISSN:0892-6638, Pages:8925-8934
Chen R, Park H-A, Mnatsakanyan N, et al., 2019, Parkinson's disease protein DJ-1 regulates ATP synthase protein components to increase neuronal process outgrowth, Cell Death & Disease, Vol:10, ISSN:2041-4889
Mallach A, Weinert M, Arthur J, et al., 2019, Post mortem examination of Parkinson’s disease brains suggests decline in mitochondrial biomass, reversed by deep brain stimulation of subthalamic nucleus, The FASEB Journal, ISSN:0892-6638, Pages:fj.201802628R-fj.201802628R
Niu Y, Moghimyfiroozabad S, Safaie S, et al., 2017, 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, Vol:85, ISSN:1432-1432, Pages:219-233
Niu Y, Liu C, Moghimyfiroozabad S, et al., 2017, PrePhyloPro: phylogenetic profile-based prediction of whole proteome linkages., Peerj, Vol:5, ISSN:2167-8359
Park H-A, Licznerski P, Mnatsakanyan N, et al., 2017, Inhibition of Bcl-xL prevents pro-death actions of ΔN-Bcl-xL at the mitochondrial inner membrane during glutamate excitotoxicity., Cell Death and Differentiation, Vol:24, ISSN:1350-9047, Pages:1963-1974
Licznerski P, Duric V, Banasr M, et al., 2015, Decreased SGK1 Expression and Function Contributes to Behavioral Deficits Induced by Traumatic Stress, PLOS Biology, Vol:13, ISSN:1545-7885
Selvakumar T, Alavian KN, Tierney T, 2015, Analysis of Gene Expression Changes in the Rat Hippocampus After Deep Brain Stimulation of the Anterior Thalamic Nucleus, Jove-journal of Visualized Experiments, ISSN:1940-087X
Weinert M, Selvakumar T, Tierney TS, et al., 2015, Isolation, Culture and Long-Term Maintenance of Primary Mesencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons From Embryonic Rodent Brains, Jove-journal of Visualized Experiments, ISSN:1940-087X
Park H-A, Licznerski P, Alavian KN, et al., 2015, Bcl-xL Is Necessary for Neurite Outgrowth in Hippocampal Neurons, Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, Vol:22, ISSN:1523-0864, Pages:93-108
Alavian KN, Dworetzky SI, Bonanni L, et al., 2015, The Mitochondrial Complex V-Associated Large-Conductance Inner Membrane Current Is Regulated by Cyclosporine and Dexpramipexole, Molecular Pharmacology, Vol:87, ISSN:0026-895X, Pages:1-8
Jonas EA, Porter GA, Alavian KN, 2014, BcI-xL in neuroprotection and plasticity, Frontiers in Physiology, Vol:5, ISSN:1664-042X
Alavian KN, Beutner G, Lazrove E, et al., 2014, An uncoupling channel within the c-subunit ring of the F1FO ATP synthase is the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol:111, ISSN:0027-8424, Pages:10580-10585
Li H, Alavian KN, Lazrove E, et al., 2013, A Bcl-x(L)-Drp1 complex regulates synaptic vesicle membrane dynamics during endocytosis, Nature Cell Biology, Vol:15, ISSN:1465-7392, Pages:773-785
Ofengeim D, Chen Y-B, Miyawaki T, et al., 2012, N-terminally cleaved Bcl-x(L) mediates ischemia-induced neuronal death, Nature Neuroscience, Vol:15, ISSN:1097-6256, Pages:574-580
Alavian KN, Li H, Collis L, et al., 2011, Bcl-x(L) regulates metabolic efficiency of neurons through interaction with the mitochondrial F1F0 ATP synthase, Nature Cell Biology, Vol:13, ISSN:1465-7392, Pages:1224-1233
Chapters
Beutner G, Alavian KN, Jonas EA, et al., 2017, The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore and ATP Synthase (vol 240, pg 21, 2016), PHARMACOLOGY OF MITOCHONDRIA, Editor(s): Singh, Sheu, SPRINGER-VERLAG BERLIN, Pages:489-489, ISBN:978-3-319-57311-3