Mark Alkema

Mark Alkema is a Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at UMass Chan Medical School, with additional appointments in the NeuroNexus Institute and the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences across multiple programs including Neuroscience, MD/PhD, and Postbaccalaureate Research Education.

He received his B.Sc. (1990) and Ph.D. (1996) from the University of Amsterdam and Netherlands Cancer Institute, respectively, followed by postdoctoral training at MIT under Bob Horvitz. He joined UMass Medical School as faculty in June 2005.

His research focuses on the molecular and cellular basis of behavioral plasticity using C. elegans as a model organism. His lab investigates how environmental stimuli modulate behavior through neural circuits, with particular emphasis on the escape response. Their work has revealed critical roles for tyramine signaling in coordinating motor programs during escape behavior, including suppression of head oscillations and execution of omega turns. Recent research explores connections between neural activity, stress responses, and metabolic regulation.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on C. elegans neural circuits, with increasing integration of computational approaches, microbiome interactions, and stress response mechanisms. His work bridges molecular neuroscience, behavioral genetics, and systems biology.

Dr. Alkema mentors several graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, with notable alumni including Jennifer Pirri, Christopher Clark, Diego Rayes, and Jamie Donnelly. His lab receives funding for research on neural circuits, behavioral plasticity, and the molecular basis of escape responses.

The Alkema lab maintains an active research program studying how the C. elegans nervous system translates sensory information into behavioral responses, with particular focus on the neural circuits controlling escape behavior and the neuromodulatory mechanisms that coordinate complex motor sequences.