University of Pennsylvania · BiologyThe Mitochondria and Mind Lab
Jorge Ivan Alvarez · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Jorge Ivan Alvarez's lab at the University of Pennsylvania focuses on understanding how mitochondria affect the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and their connection to neuropsychiatric disorders. They investigate how deficiencies in mitochondrial function can compromise BBB integrity, which may lead to conditions like schizophrenia and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The lab combines insights from neuroimmunology and developmental biology to explore new therapeutic approaches for these conditions.
mitochondrial dysfunctionblood-brain barrier22q11.2 deletion syndromeneuropsychiatric disordersschizophrenia
Research Aims
4AIM 01Examine mitochondrial energetics and their effects on blood-brain barrier function in neuropsychiatric disorders.
AIM 02Assess whether enhancing mitochondrial function can improve blood-brain barrier integrity.
AIM 03Investigate potential therapeutic targets related to mitochondrial functionality in neurodevelopmental diseases.
AIM 04Explore the synergy between claudin-5 deficiency and mitochondrial DNA mutations in blood-brain barrier dysfunction.
Skills the Lab Values
induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) cultureanimal modelsdrug administration techniquesWestern blottingimmunohistochemistry
Output against the department
Publications85bottom 27% of dept.753rd of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations9.8ktop 39% of dept.398th of 1,033
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.