Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

Faculty Profiles
[Return To Index page]
photo Jonathan K. Alder, PhD

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Associate Professor of Medicine

Email: jalder@pitt.edu

Phone: 412-624-7441
Contact
Office: UPMC Montefiore Hospital
3459 Fifth Avenue, NW628
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
 
Phone: 412-624-7441
Fax: 412-624-1670
E-mail: jalder@pitt.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Stephanie Hicks
Address: UPMC Montefiore Hospital
3459 Fifth Avenue, NW628
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Email: hicksse@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-624-7441
Fax: 412-624-1670
Education and Training
Education
PhD, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, 2007
BA, Chemistry, University of Utah, 2005
Research Interest
My research focuses on understanding the role of telomere length in human health and disease. Telomeres are caps on the ends of each of chromosomes and shorten as we age. My current interest is exploring the mechanisms by which telomere dysfunction causes age-related lung diseases including pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. Our lab uses a number of approaches to explore that pathogenesis of short-telomere mediated disease including genetics, cell biology, and animal models. We hope these studies will lead to a deeper understanding of how telomere dysfunction contributes to lung disease and potentially inform rational therapies.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Jiang M, Roth MG, Chun-On P, Sullivan DI, Alder JK. Phenotypic Diversity Caused by Differential Expression of SFTPC-Cre-Transgenic Alleles. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2020; Jun;62(6): 692-698.
Iasella CJ, Winters SA, Kois A, Cho J, Hannan SJ, Koshy R, Moore CA, Ensor CR, Lendermon EA, Morrell MR, Pilewski JM, Sanchez PG, Kass DJ, Alder JK, Nouraie SM, McDyer JF. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis lung transplant recipients are at increased risk for EBV-associated posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder and worse survival. Am J Transplant. 2020; May;20(5): 1439-1446.
Zhang Y, Jiang M, Nouraie M, Roth MG, Tabib T, Winters S, Chen X, Sembrat J, Chu Y, Cardenes N, Tuder RM, Herzog EL, Ryu C, Rojas M, Lafyatis R, Gibson KF, McDyer JF, Kass DJ, Alder JK. GDF15 is an epithelial-derived biomarker of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2019; Oct 1;317(4): L510-L521.
Hamsanathan S, Alder JK, Sellares J, Rojas M, Gurkar AU, Mora AL. Cellular Senescence: The Trojan Horse in Chronic Lung Diseases. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2019; Jul;61(1): 21-30.
Wagner CL, Hanumanthu VS, Talbot CC Jr, Abraham RS, Hamm D, Gable DL, Kanakry CG, Applegate CD, Siliciano J, Jackson JB, Desiderio S, Alder JK, Luznik L, Armanios M. Short telomere syndromes cause a primary T cell immunodeficiency. J Clin Invest. 2018; Dec 3;128(12): 5222-5234.
Alder JK, Hanumanthu VS, Strong MA, DeZern AE, Stanley SE, Takemoto CM, Danilova L, Applegate CD, Bolton SG, Mohr DW, Brodsky RA, Casella JF, Greider CW, Jackson JB, Armanios M. Diagnostic utility of telomere length testing in a hospital-based setting. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2018; Mar 6;115(10): E2358-E2365.
Alder, JK, Barkauskas, CE, Limjunyawong, N, Stanley, SE, Kembou, F, Tuder, RM, Hogan, BL, Mitzner, W, Armanios, M. Telomere dysfunction causes alveolar stem cell failure. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015; Apr 21;112(16): 5099-104.
Alder, JK, Stanley, SE, Wagner, CL, Hamilton, M, Hanumanthu, VS, Armanios, M. Exome sequencing identifies mutant TINF2 in a family with pulmonary fibrosis. CHEST. 2015; May;147(5): 1361-1368.
Alder, JK, Parry, EM, Yegnasubramanian, S, Wagner, CL, Lieblich, LM, Auerbach, R, Auerbach, AD, Wheelan, SJ, Armanios, M. Telomere phenotypes in females with heterozygous mutations in the dyskeratosis congenita 1 (DKC1) gene. Hum Mutat. 2013; Nov;34(11): 1481-5.
Alder, JK, Guo, N, Kembou, F, Parry, EM, Anderson, CJ, Gorgy, AI, Walsh, MF, Sussan, T, Biswal, S, Mitzner, W, Tuder, RM, Armanios, M. Telomere length is a determinant of emphysema susceptibility. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011; Oct 15:184(8): 904-12.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: Mechanisms of Telomere-Mediated Lung Disease
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL135062
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2023
Title: COVID Convalescent Plasma Pittsburgh Program
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: Pittsburgh Foundation
Grant Number: RES MR2020
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2021
Notable Achievements
Parker B. Francis Fellow, 2010

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

Department of Medicine
1218 Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
Copyright © 2018 Department of Medicine / University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Site maintained by Medicine Technology Services MTS@PITT.EDU