Academic Appointments

Columbia University, Department of Medicine • New York, NY
Principal Investigator, Nectow Lab

2019 – Present

Princeton University, Princeton Neuroscience Institute • Princeton, NJ
CV Starr Fellow, Associate Research Scholar
Principal Investigator, Nectow Lab
2016 – 2019

Education & Training

New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University • New York, NY
Resident, Internal Medicine (Research Track)
2020 – 2022

Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons • New York, NY
MD, 3-Year PhD-MD Program
2017 – 2020

The Rockefeller University, Molecular Genetics • New York, NY
PhD, Neuroscience, Advisor: Prof. Jeffrey Friedman
2011 – 2015

Tufts University, School of Engineering • Medford, MA
BS, Engineering Science, Magna Cum Laude
MS, Biomedical Engineering, Advisor: Prof. David Kaplan
2007 – 2011

Biography

Alexander R. Nectow is a clinician-scientist and 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 food intake. Shortly after completing his PhD, Alex started his laboratory as a CV Starr Fellow at Princeton University’s Princeton Neuroscience Institute in 2016. At Princeton, Alex's group identified a novel mechanism through which the brainstem regulates thermogenesis. During this time, Alex also began to pursue an MD at Columbia University. Alex then joined the faculty of Columbia University’s Department of Medicine in 2019, shortly before completing his MD in 2020. While continuing to run his lab, he concurrently completed an internal medicine residency through the clinician-scientist pathway at NYP-Columbia. He is currently completing a clinical fellowship in cardiology, also at NYP-Columbia.

Alex has been recognized with a number of honors and awards, such as The Rockefeller University’s David Rockefeller Fellowship, Princeton University’s CV Starr Fellowship, Columbia University's Titus Munson Coan Prize, 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

2020

Blue Flame Depositor Award, Addgene

2020

Titus Munson Coan Prize, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University

2018 – 2022

Pathway to Stop Diabetes Accelerator Award, American Diabetes Association

2018 – 2022

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

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,” Cell178, 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,” Cell171, 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,” Cell170, 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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