Alexander Banks

Alexander Banks, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, specializing in the Division of Endocrine. His research focuses on energy metabolism, obesity, diabetes, and related metabolic disorders.

Dr. Banks' research interests span multiple areas of metabolic physiology including:

• Energy homeostasis and metabolic regulation
• Thermogenesis and adipose tissue biology
• Mechanisms of insulin resistance
• Growth Differentiation Factor 3 (GDF3) signaling
• PPAR gamma regulation in metabolic diseases
• Neural control of metabolism and energy balance

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on molecular mechanisms linking adipose tissue function, neural regulation, and metabolic homeostasis. His work spans from basic molecular mechanisms to translational applications, with particular emphasis on developing tools like the CalR toolkit for metabolic phenotyping. Recent trends show increasing integration of neuroscience approaches with traditional metabolic research, examining how brain circuits regulate whole-body energy balance.

Dr. Banks has been Principal Investigator on multiple NIH-funded research projects including:

• RC2DK142612 (2025-2030): A database of indirect calorimetry experiments for energy homeostasis
• R01DK133948 (2022-2025): CalR toolkit development
• R01DK107717 (2016-2025): Mechanism of Gdf3 action in obesity

His laboratory utilizes advanced techniques including indirect calorimetry, continuous glucose monitoring, neural circuit mapping, and proteomic analysis to investigate metabolic regulation. Collaborations with prominent researchers in metabolism and neuroscience have enabled multidisciplinary approaches to understanding energy homeostasis.