Cameron McAlpine, PhD
Associate Professor
Principal Investigator
Dr. Cameron McAlpine completed his PhD at McMaster University in Canada, where he investigated macrophage function in atherosclerosis. He then completed postdoctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he identified a hypothalamic-bone marrow axis linking sleep to hematopoiesis in atherosclerosis and uncovered roles for hematopoietic growth factors in glial cell communication in Alzheimer’s disease. He is now an Associate Professor in the Cardiovascular Research Institute and the Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The McAlpine laboratory investigates exposomic influences on inflammation in cardiovascular and neurological disease, with a particular focus on how the brain senses and regulates peripheral and central inflammation — and how lifestyle behaviors, including sleep and exercise, shape these processes. The lab takes a mechanistic and translational approach, positioning immune cells as central protagonists in neuro-cardio-immune crosstalk.
Abi Yates, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Aaron Douglas, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Aaron is a postdoctoral research fellow who is particularly interested in neuroimmunology and brain-body interactions. Aaron completed his PhD at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute in Trinity College Dublin, where he focused on the regulation of adipose tissue circadian rhythms by innate T cells. He then joined the Trinity Neurosciences Institute as a postdoctoral fellow, investing whether memories formed during sickness could activate an anticipatory immune response. Aaron joined the McAlpine lab in February 2025 to further his postdoctoral training, and his work will focus on neuroimmune interactions along the heart-brain axis. Outside of the lab Aaron enjoys running and keeping active in the gym, while also being an avid gamer.
Alika Sulaman, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Alika is passionate about understanding how things work, from the molecular to systems levels, to enable complex behavior and life. She completed her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2025, where she studied the neural circuits regulating sleep and the contributions of dopamine signaling during sleep to memory storage processes. Wanting to explore the functions of sleep outside of the brain and to learn about brain-body and brain-immune system interactions, Alika joined the McAlpine lab in November 2025. Outside of lab, Alika enjoys reading science fiction, going on challenging hikes, and exploring NYC’s amazing food scene.
Annie Khamhoung
PhD Student
annie.khamhoung@icahn.mssm.edu
Annie is a PhD student in immunology at Mount Sinai. She completed her B.S. in Biochemistry at Northeastern University. Annie worked for several years in biotech as a research assistant developing cancer immunotherapies before beginning graduate school. She is passionate about immunology and looking forward to delving into neuroimmunology and brain-body interactions governed by the immune system. Annie is currently focused on neurodevelopmental diseases. When Annie isn’t in the lab, she enjoys rock-climbing, and spending time in central park.
You?
If you are interested in joining our lab send Cameron an email!
Postdoctoral Fellows
We are an interdisciplinary group. If you are seeking a postdoc position and have interests in immunology, cardiology, and neuroscience, send Cameron an email: cameron.mcalpine@mssm.edu
Graduate students
If you would like to complete your PhD in the McAlpine lab you will have to apply to a ISMMS PhD program. We are affiliated with the Immunology and Neuroscience graduate training programs. More information about grad school at ISMMS can be found here. If you are a PhD or MD student and would like to do a rotation or exchange in the lab, reach out to Cameron by email.
Alumni
Agustin Clemente Moragon
Su Goswami
Dr. Jan Hoffman
Merlin Heiser
Dr. Pacific Huynh
Dr. Teresa Gerhardt
Lena Gaebel
Walter “Jake” Jacob