Alexander Gabrielli, M.D., Ph.D.

Professional Background

Alex is from Shawnee, a city just outside of Kansas City, Kansas. After completing a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry at the University of Kansas, he matriculated into the physician-scientist training program at the KU Medical Center in the summer of 2018.  After two years of medical school, he joined the lab of Dr. Russell Swerdlow. His doctoral research concerned the role of neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. He established a novel dyadic relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and ApoE biology in neuronal cells. He further established the groundwork for new models of mitochondrial dysfunction leveraging iPSC-derived neurons, which has yielded insights into the role of mitochondrial failure in Alzheimer's-pertinent molecular phenomena. He has further explored the potential role of proteostasis in modulating Alzheimer's-associated neuronal phenotypes, which may yield actionable molecular targets. He is looking forward to continuing his training as a Neurology resident at KU Med this summer.