Current: Postdoctoral Fellow
Previous: PhD in Medical Sciences (Nutrition and Metabolism) at McMaster University, MSc in Kinesiology at York University
At the University of Ottawa, Alex is continuing his interests in metabolism and muscle by studying nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+, a tryptophan metabolite) and how precursor supplementation (i.e. nicotinamide riboside) and downstream metabolism can regulate mature muscle and muscle stem cell function and metabolism. His work focuses on elucidating the role of Poly-ADP-Ribose derived post-translational modifications in stem cell and skeletal muscle function.
Alex Green completed his doctorate in medical sciences at McMaster University under the supervision of Dr. Gregory Steinberg, where he studied the regulatory role of systemic serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; another tryptophan metabolite) on brown adipose tissue and identified novel therapeutic targets for increasing brown adipose tissue’s thermogenic capacity. Previously, he worked under Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky at McMaster University. In Dr. Tarnopolsky’s laboratory, he investigated the potential antioxidant effects of long-term endurance exercise in a model of elevated ROS signalling and the generation of genetic reporters for the identification of small molecule modulators of mitochondrial gene transcription. Before that, he completed his master’s under the supervision of Dr. David Hood at York University. There he investigated the use of AMPK activators for inducing mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in a cell model of mtDNA depletion syndrome. During his undergraduate degree, he worked under Dr. Brendon Gurd at Queen’s University, studying the effects of high-intensity interval training on VO2 kinetic responses.
Awards:
- uOttawa Éric Poulin Centre for Neuromuscular Disease (CNMD) Scholarship in Translational Research (STaR) Award – 2020
- Neurobiology of Disease in Children – Young Investigator Award, 2013
- CIHR Doctoral Research Award – PA: Mitochondrial Disease (SHOPP), 2013
- McMaster University Entrance Scholarship, 2013
- Muscle Health Research Centre Graduate Student Fellowship, 2012
- York University Entrance Scholarship, 2011