Janet Alder, PhD

Janet Alder is an associate professor for the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology. She coordinates iJOBS career development program for biomedical PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, oversees academic enrichment initiatives for biomedical PhD students including training in Responsible Conduct of Research, Rigor and Reproducibility, Individual Development Plans, and Communicating Science, assists with Student Affairs for biomedical PhD students, and organizes STEM community outreach and summer undergraduate research program activities. Her research interests include cellular and molecular mechanisms in traumatic brain injury.

Dr. Alder also serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Postdoctoral Affairs at Rutgers Health and the Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic and Student Affairs at the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies.

Current funding: New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research.

Education

• PhD, Columbia University, 1994
• Postdoc, Rockefeller University, 1998

• BDNF Val66Met Genetic Polymorphism Results in Poor Recovery Following Repeated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in a Mouse Model and Treatment With AAV-BDNF Improves Outcomes. Giarratana AO, Teng S, Reddi S, Zheng C, Adler D, Thakker-Varia S, Alder J. Front Neurol. 2019 Nov 7;10:1175. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01175. eCollection 2019.PMID: 31787925
• Inhibition of EphA/Ephrin-A signaling using genetic and pharmacologic approaches improves recovery following traumatic brain injury in mice. Teng S, Palmieri A, Maita I, Zheng C, Das G, Park J, Zhou R, Alder J, Thakker-Varia S.Brain Inj. 2019;33(10):1385-1401. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2019.1641622. Epub 2019 Jul 18.PMID: 31319723
• Neuropeptide VGF Promotes Maturation of Hippocampal Dendrites That Is Reduced by Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms. Behnke J, Cheedalla A, Bhatt V, Bhat M, Teng S, Palmieri A, Windon CC, Thakker-Varia S, Alder J. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Mar 11;18(3):612. doi: 10.3390/ijms18030612.PMID: 28287464
• Oxidation of KCNB1 Potassium Channels Causes Neurotoxicity and Cognitive Impairment in a Mouse Model of Traumatic Brain Injury. Yu W, Parakramaweera R, Teng S, Gowda M, Sharad Y, Thakker-Varia S, Alder J, Sesti F.J Neurosci. 2016 Oct 26;36(43):11084-11096. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2273-16.2016.PMID: 27798188
• Alder J, Fujioka W, Giarratana A, Wissocki J, Thakkar K, Vuong P, Patel B, Chakraborty T, Elsabeh R, Parikh A, Girn HS, Crockett D, Thakker-Varia S. Brain Inj. 2016;30 Genetic and pharmacological intervention of the p75NTR pathway alters morphological and behavioural recovery following traumatic brain injury in mice. (1):48-65. doi:10.3109/02699052.2015.1088963. Epub 2015 Nov 18. PMID: 26579945
• Thakker-Varia, S., Behnke, J., Doobin, D., Dalal, V., Thakkar, K., Khadim, F., Wilson, E., Palmieri, A., Antila, H., Rantamäki,T., Alder, J. (2014) VGF-induced neurogenesis targets early phase neural progenitor cells in the adult hippocampus and requires glutamate signaling. Stem Cell Research, 12(3): 762-77 doi: 10.1016/j.scr.2014.03.005.
• Alder, J., Kallman, S., Palmieri, A., Khadim, F., Ayer, J.J., Kumar, S., Tsung, K., Grinberg, I., Grinberg, I., Thakker-Varia, S. (2013) Neuropeptide orphanin FQ inhibits dendritic morphogenesis through activation of RhoA., Developmental Neurobiology, 73(10): 769-84 doi: 10.1002/dneu.22101 PMID: 23821558
• Alder, J. Kramer, B.C., Hoskin, C., Thakker-Varia. S. (2012) Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) produced by human umbilical tissue-derived cells (hUTC) Is required for its effect on hippocampal dendritic differentiation, Developmental Neurobiology, 72(6), 755-65. PMID: 21954108
• Thakker-Varia, S., Jean Y., Parikh, P., Sizer, C.F., Ayer, J.J., Parikh, A., Hyde, T.M., Buyske, S., and Alder, J. (2010) The neuropeptide VGF is reduced in human postmortem brain and contributes to some of the behavioral and molecular effects of lithium. J. Neurosci, 30(28), 9368-9380
• Thakker-Varia, S. and Alder, J. (2009). Neuropeptides in depression: role of VGF. Behavioral Brain Research, 197, 262-278.
• Thakker-Varia, S., Jernstedt Krol, J., Nettleton, J., Bilimoria, P.M., Bangasser, D.A., Shors, T.J., Black, I.B. and Alder, J. (2007) The neuropeptide VGF produces antidepressant-like behavioral effects and enhances proliferation in the hippocampus. J. Neurosci. 27(45), 12156-12167.
• Ring, R.H., Alder, J., Fennell, M., Kouranova, E., Black, I.B., and Thakker-Varia, S. (2006) Transcriptional profiling of BDNF-induced neuronal plasticity: a novel role for nociceptins in hippocampal neurite outgrowth. J. Neurobiol. 66(4), 361-377.
• Alder, J*., Thakker-Varia, S*., Crozier, R.A., Shaheen, A., Plummer, M.R., and Black, I.B. (2005) Early presynaptic and late postsynaptic components contribute independently to BDNF-induced synaptic plasticity. J. Neurosci., 25(21), 3080-3085.
• Alder, J*., Thakker-Varia, S*. Bangasser D.A., Kuroiwa, M., Plummer, M.R., Shors, T.J., and Black, I.B. (2003) BDNF-induced gene expression reveals novel actions of VGF in hippocampal synaptic plasticity. J. Neurosci., 23(34), 10800-10808.
• Thakker-Varia, S*., Alder, J*., Crozier, R.A., Plummer, M.R. and Black, I.B. (2001) Rab3A is required for brain-derived neurotrophic factor-induced synaptic plasticity: transcriptional analysis at the population and single-cell levels. J. Neurosci., 21(17), 6782-6790.

*Equal contribution