Rachel Wolfson

Rachel Wolfson, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School (HMS), affiliated with the Department of Cell Biology. She holds appointments at the Harvard Medical School and is part of the Harvard Medical School faculty. Her academic journey includes an M.D. from HMS and a Ph.D. from MIT, followed by clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and postdoctoral research in Neurobiology at HMS.

Her research focuses on mechanisms of internal sensation, particularly how visceral sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) sense stimuli from internal organs like the gastrointestinal tract. Her lab uses neurobiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology techniques to study mechanosensation, inflammation-induced hypersensitivity, and the physiological/pathophysiological control of these processes.

Key research areas include: sensory neuron function, DRG innervation, mechanosensation pathways, and the role of mTORC1 signaling in cancer and physiological processes. Her work integrates spinal sensory pathways, lysosomal biology, and nutrient sensing mechanisms.

Her NIH-funded projects (K08DK140638, F30CA189333) investigate mechanosensation mechanisms and mTORC1 signaling. Notable publications span neurobiology, oncology, and cellular metabolism, including studies on spinal pathways, lymphoma mutations, and amino acid transporters.

Professional contributions include over 20 peer-reviewed articles, with impactful work on sensory neuron biology and mTOR pathway regulation. Her lab is part of the HMS Cell Biology department, collaborating with institutions like Massachusetts General Hospital and MIT.