Alvarez Lab
Principal Investigator: Juan R Alvarez
Institution: University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: ✅ Hiring Postdocs
Research Focus
Project Summary/Abstract The overall goal of my research program is to mechanistically understand how circadian and metabolic rhythms shape how fully differentiated cells become functionally specialized, or “mature”. Cycles in energy availability, due to earth’s 24-hour rotation, are the oldest, most consistent environmental input for life on earth. Critical cellular functions—from gene expression to protein synthesis—are thus optimized to 24-hour rhythms as a key adaptation to daily life, from bacteria to most cells in our body. How such rhythmic physiology determines maturity is central to cell and developmental biology, and can be harnessed to build fully functional tissues for regenerative medicine. In the past decade, chronobiology studies have not only revealed novel insights into mammalian cell biology, but also identified several uncharted areas with abundant opportunities for further investigation. For the next five years, we will focus on two such areas: 1) How do circadian and metabolic rhythms determine cell maturation? 2) How do circadian and metabolic rhythms maintain cell maturity? We will address these questions in defined human in vitro and mouse in vivo model syst…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R35GM157320-02: How cell maturation is regulated by circadian and metabolic rhythms (2026)
- 1R35GM157320-01: How cell maturation is regulated by circadian and metabolic rhythms (2025)
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