Alessandro Furlan

Alessandro Furlan is an Assistant Professor at the Karolinska Institutet Department of Neuroscience, leading the Neurobiology of Obesity research group. His lab investigates body-brain neuronal circuits and their dysregulation in obesity, employing transcriptomics, circuit-tracing, and opto-/chemo-genetics.

• ERC Starting Grant recipient (2024)
• Wallenberg Academy Fellow (2023)
• Focus: Obesity-related brain-body interactions, metabolic syndrome

Email: alessandro.furlan@ki.se

Research Focus

The lab explores how adipose tissue alterations affect brain function through neural circuits, creating a pathological feedback loop in obesity. Current projects investigate:

• Central-peripheral circuit communication
• Neuronal diversification mechanisms
• Transcriptional regulation in autonomic neurons
• Functional mapping of obesity-related neural pathways
• Development of targeted metabolic interventions

Scientific Awards

• ERC Starting Grant (2024)
• Wallenberg Academy Fellowship (2023)

Advising

Supervises PhD students:

• Maria Laura Santino
• Robin Schürz
• Radhashree Sharma