Alexander van der Linden

Alexander van der Linden is an Associate Dean of the College of Science and Professor of Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno. He directs the Cellular and Molecular Imaging Core within the COBRE Integrative Neuroscience program. His research focuses on aging and sleep biology using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, investigating molecular pathways linking metabolism, circadian rhythms, and age-related diseases.

Education:

• Ph.D., Biology, Hubrecht Institute, University of Utrecht (2003)
• M.Sc., Molecular Biology, University of Leiden (1999)
• B.Sc., Biochemistry, Poly Technical College of Delft (1996)
• B.Sc., Microbiology, Van Leeuwenhoek Institute (1993)

Research Interests: His lab studies the molecular mechanisms of sleep regulation and aging, particularly the roles of salt-inducible kinases (e.g., SIK3/KIN-29) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in health and disease. Key projects include:

• Characterizing circRNA accumulation during aging and its effects on Alzheimer’s-like toxicity
• Elucidating metabolic-sleep crosstalk via SIK3-HDAC4 signaling
• Investigating how feeding state modulates chemosensory genes and behavior

Labs/Teams: The van der Linden Lab is part of the Biology Department at UNR, leveraging advanced imaging and genetic tools to study C. elegans. Recent work highlights circRNAs’ roles in aging and viral stress responses.

Teaching: Courses include Neurobiology, Genetics and Cell Biology Lab, and Cell/Molecular Biology fundamentals.