University of California-San Francisco · NeurosciencePollen Neuroplasticity Lab
Alexander A Pollen · San Francisco, California
Research Focus
Dr. Alexander Pollen's lab at UCSF focuses on understanding how human brains are uniquely adapted to challenges like aging and stress. They study dopaminergic neurons, which are critical for movement and mood, to see how they cope with age-related stressors compared to those in other primates. By combining modern techniques like CRISPR and machine learning with stem cell-derived organoids, the lab aims to uncover the genetic changes that contribute to human brain plasticity and vulnerability to disorders.
dopaminergic neuronsage-related stressneuroprotectionbrain plasticityhuman-specific genesstem cell-derived organoidsCRISPRcomparative genomicsmachine learning
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the vulnerabilities of midbrain dopamine neurons to age-related oxidative stress.
AIM 02Identify human-specific genetic elements that support neuroprotection in dopamine neurons.
AIM 03Compare activity-regulated genomic elements between human and non-human neurons.
AIM 04Understand the evolutionary adaptations of human neurons for enhanced plasticity.
AIM 05Develop experimental models to study neurodevelopmental disorders related to plasticity.
Skills the Lab Values
CRISPRstem cell culturegenomic sequencingmachine learningdata analysisorganoid modelingprimary tissue analysiscomparative genomicsgene expression profiling
Output against the department
Publications6bottom 1% of dept.660th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations495bottom 3% of dept.653rd of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.