Brian J. Altman

Brian J. Altman, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Genetics at the University of Rochester Medical Center's School of Medicine and Dentistry. His research focuses on the intersection of circadian biology, cancer metabolism, and oncogenic signaling, particularly the role of the MYC oncogene in disrupting circadian rhythms in cancer cells.

Dr. Altman received his PhD in Molecular Cancer Biology from Duke University in 2011 and his BA in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005. He leads the Altman Lab, which investigates how circadian rhythms influence cancer development and progression.

His research interests include:

• The role of circadian rhythm in cancer cell biology and metabolism
• How the MYC oncogene disrupts circadian metabolic oscillations
• Molecular clock regulation in cancer cells
• Metabolic control of circadian rhythms in tumor microenvironments
• Therapeutic implications of circadian disruption in cancer

Analysis of Dr. Altman's recent publications reveals a strong focus on the intersection of circadian biology and cancer metabolism. His work demonstrates how oncogenes like MYC disrupt circadian rhythms in cancer cells, leading to altered metabolic oscillations that may provide cancer cells with a growth advantage. His research spans multiple cancer types including lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and thyroid cancer, with particular emphasis on how circadian disruption affects tumor immune microenvironments and metabolic pathways.

Dr. Altman has published extensively in high-impact journals including Nature Immunology, Cell Metabolism, PLoS Genetics, and Nature Communications. His research has significantly advanced understanding of the connections between circadian rhythms and cancer biology.

As a mentor, Dr. Altman oversees several graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in his lab, guiding research on topics such as:

• Understanding the role of REV-ERB proteins in MYC-driven circadian disruption
• Modulation of the molecular clock by metabolic stress
• Connections between circadian rhythms and metabolic stress in macrophages and cancer cells

His lab is currently working on several major projects including:

• Tumor suppression by the molecular clock
• MYC disruption of the circadian metabolic cycle
• Metabolic control of the molecular clock
• MYC and the clock in non-small cell lung cancer
• Endogenous MYC and the molecular clock in cancer