Academic Appointments

Columbia University, Department of Medicine • New York, NY

Department of Medicine • New York, NY
Principal Investigator, Nectow Lab
07/2019 – Present

Education & Training

Princeton University, Princeton Neuroscience Institute • Princeton, NJ

CV Starr Fellow, Associate Research Scholar
Principal Investigator, Nectow Lab
02/2016 – 07/2019

The Rockefeller University, Molecular Genetics • New York, NY

Postdoctoral Fellow, Advisor: Prof. Jeffrey Friedman
05/2015 – 02/2016

The Rockefeller University, Molecular Genetics • New York, NY

Ph.D., Neuroscience, Advisor: Prof. Jeffrey Friedman
09/2011 – 05/2015

Tufts University, School of Engineering • Medford, MA

B.S. Engineering Science, Magna Cum Laude
M.S. Biomedical Engineering, Advisor: Prof. David Kaplan
09/2007 – 05/2011

Biography

Alexander R. Nectow is a Principal Investigator on the faculty of Columbia University’s Department of Medicine. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Engineering Science and Biomedical Engineering, respectively, from Tufts University in 2011. He earned his PhD from Rockefeller University in 2015, during which he developed novel molecular profiling technologies and identified the dorsal raphe nucleus as a key node regulating energy balance. Shortly after completing his PhD, Alex started his laboratory as a CV Starr Fellow at Princeton University’s Princeton Neuroscience Institute in 2016. More recently, in July 2019, Alex joined the faculty of Columbia University’s Department of Medicine.

Alex has been recognized with a number of honors and awards, such as the Rockefeller University’s David Rockefeller Fellowship, Princeton University’s Innovation Fund Award, and the American Diabetes Association’s Innovative Basic Science Award and Pathway to Stop Diabetes Accelerator Award. He was also recently a NARSAD Young Investigator.

Awards & Honors

2018 – 2022

Pathway to Stop Diabetes Accelerator Award, American Diabetes Association

2018 – 2021

Innovative Basic Science Award, Core Program, American Diabetes Association

2017 – 2019

Investigator, Foundation for Prader-Willi Research

2017 – 2019

NARSAD Young Investigator, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation

2016 – 2019

Innovation Fund Award, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University

2016 – 2019

CV Starr Fellowship, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University

2016 – 2017

Clinical and Translational Science Award, Shapiro-Silverberg Fund, The Rockefeller

2016

Pilot Award, Robertson Therapeutic Development Fund, The Rockefeller University

2016

Salk Helmsley Fellowship, Salk Institute for Biological Studies (declined)

2015

Travel Award, Postdoctoral Association, The Rockefeller University

Key Publications

2019

2017

2015

2014

2013

2012

2019

Marc Schneeberger#,*, Luca Parolari*, Tania Das Banerjee*, Varun Bhave, Putianqi Wang, Thomas Topilko, Bindiben Patel, Zhuhao Wu, Chan Hee J. Choi, Paul Cohen, Nicolas Renier, Jeffrey M. Friedman#, Alexander R. Nectow#,##. “Regulation of Energy Expenditure by Brainstem GABA Neurons,” Cell, 178, 672-685. (##Lead contact)

2017

Malavika Murugan, Hee Jae Jang, Michelle Park, Ellia Miller, Julia Cox, Joshua Taliaferro, Nathan F. Parker, Varun Bhave, Hong Hur, Yupu Liang, Alexander R. Nectow, Jonathan W. Pillow, Ilana B. Witten#. “Combined Social and Spatial Coding in a Descending Projection from the Prefrontal Cortex,” Cell, 171, 1663-1667.

2017

Alexander R. Nectow#, Marc Schneeberger, Hongxing Zhang, Bianca C. Field, Nico Renier, Estefania Azevedo, Bindiben Patel, Yupu Liang, Siddhartha Mitra, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Ming-Hu Han, Jeffrey M. Friedman#. “Identification of a Brainstem Circuit Controlling Feeding,” Cell, 170, 429-442.

2017

Alexander R. Nectow#, Maria V. Moya, Mats I. Ekstrand, Awni Mousa, Kelly L. McGuire, Caroline E. Sferrazza, Bianca C. Field, Gabrielle S. Rabinowitz, Kirsty Sawicka, Yupu Liang, Jeffrey M. Friedman, Nathaniel Heintz#, Eric F. Schmidt#. “Rapid Molecular Profiling of Defined Cell Types Using Viral TRAP,” Cell Reports, 19, 655-667.

2015

Alexander R. Nectow#, Mats I. Ekstrand, Jeffrey M. Friedman. “Molecular Characterization of Cell Types Based on Patterns of Projection,” Nature Protocols, 10, 1319-1327.

2014

Mats I. Ekstrand*, Alexander R. Nectow*, Zachary A. Knight, Kaamashri N. Latcha, Lisa E. Pomeranz, Jeffrey M. Friedman#. “Molecular Profiling of Neurons Based on Connectivity,” Cell, 157, 1230-1242.

2013

Christoph Borgers# and Alexander R. Nectow#. “Exponential Time Differencing for Hodgkin-Huxley-like ODEs,” SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing, 35, B623-B643.

2012

Alexander R. Nectow, Kacey G. Marra, David L. Kaplan#. “Biomaterials for the Development of Peripheral Nerve Guidance Conduits,” Tissue Engineering Part B: Reviews, 18, 40-50.

* denotes equal contribution; # denotes correspondence

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