(opens in a new window)

Jorge Ivan Alvarez, PhD

Associate Professor of Pathobiology

Department: Pathobiology


Graduate Group Affiliations


Contact Information

380 South University Avenue
H412
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Email: alvaj@vet.upenn.edu


I3H Keywords

  • Autoimmunity

Publications

Pubmed Link


Links


Education

  • BSc (Microbiology)
    Universidad de los Andes, 1997
  • PhD (Microbiology and Immunology)
    UTHSCSA, 2007

Post-Graduate Training

  • Neuroimmunology
    UTSA, 2007 - 2008
  • Neuroimmunology
    CRCHUM, 2008 - 2014

Description of Research Expertise

The Alvarez lab aims to define how CNS-intrinsic signals modulate immune cell function within different neurovascular niches. Upon infection or injury, the concerted actions of both systems create a balance between immune attack and tissue repair to promote healing. Nonetheless, during disease these protective mechanisms can be inadequate or aberrant, leading to persistent inflammation and long-term sequelae. As the first line of defense against chemicals and blood-borne molecules, the CNS barriers shield the delicate CNS microenvironment from the constant fluctuations of the periphery. They are composed of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-meningeal barrier (BMB). However, their roles during neuroinflammation remain poorly characterized. Thus, my research program has been built to identify the mechanisms regulating the immune and neurovascular interactions initiating at the level of the CNS barriers and progressing to the perivascular space into the brain parenchyma. Currently, we use a combination of ex-vivo, in vitro, in vivo, and post-mortem approaches to determine the neurovascular mechanisms supporting the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Description of ITMAT Expertise

Blood brain barrier
Meningeal immunity
Neuroimmunology
Multiple Sclerosis
Schizophrenia
Natural models of disease

Selected Publications

  • Crockett, A. M., Kebir, H., Anderson, S. A., Jyonouchi, S., Romberg, N., Alvarez, J. I. : 22q11.2 Deletion-Associated Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability Potentiates Systemic Capillary Leak Syndrome Neurologic Features 44(4) : 87, 2024
  • Crockett, A. M., Kebir, H., Benallegue, N., Adelman, P., Gur, R. E., Sullivan, K., Anderson, S. A., Alvarez, J. I. : Immune status of the murine 22q11.2 deletion syndrome model 53(1) : e2249840, 2023
  • Linnerbauer, M., Beyer, T., Nirschl, L., Farrenkopf, D., Lößlein, L., Vandrey, O., Peter, A., Tsaktanis, T., Kebir, H., Laplaud, D., Oellinger, R., Engleitner, T., Alvarez, J. I., Rad, R., Korn, T., Hemmer, B., Quintana, F. J., Rothhammer, V. : PD-L1 positive astrocytes attenuate inflammatory functions of PD-1 positive microglia in models of autoimmune neuroinflammation 14(1) : 5555, 2023
  • Li, C., Niu, C., Bi, H., Zhao, J., Ivan Alvarez, J., Yuan, F., Gai, X., Wei, L., Du, Y., Qiao, Y., Kebir, H., Xiao, Y., Yang, H. : Tibetan mineral-herbal medicine Zuotai alleviates the depressive-like behaviors in chronic restraint-stressed mice while regulating stress hormone, inflammation and monoamine 14 : 1098378, 2023
  • Benallegue, N., Kebir, H., Alvarez, J. I. : Neuroinflammation: Extinguishing a blaze of T cells 311(1) : 151-176, 2022
  • Koronyo-Hamaoui, M., Gaire, B. P., Frautschy, S. A., Alvarez, J. I. : Editorial: Role of Inflammation in Neurodegenerative Diseases 13 : 958487, 2022
  • Fournier, A. P., Zandee, S., Charabati, M., Peelen, E., Tastet, O., Alvarez, J. I., Kebir, H., Bourbonnière, L., Larouche, S., Lahav, B., Klement, W., Tea, F., Bouthillier, A., Moumdjian, R., Cayrol, R., Duquette, P., Girard, M., Larochelle, C., Arbour, N., Prat, A. : CLMP Promotes Leukocyte Migration Across Brain Barriers in Multiple Sclerosis 9(6) 2022
  • Benallegue, N., Kebir, H., Kapoor, R., Crockett, A., Li, C., Cheslow, L., Abdel-Hakeem, M. S., Gesualdi, J., Miller, M. C., Wherry, E. J., Church, M. E., Blanco, M. A., Alvarez, J. I. : The hedgehog pathway suppresses neuropathogenesis in CD4 T cell-driven inflammation 144(6) : 1670-1683, 2021
  • Crockett, A. M., Ryan, S. K., Vásquez, A. H., Canning, C., Kanyuch, N., Kebir, H., Ceja, G., Gesualdi, J., Zackai, E., McDonald-McGinn, D., Viaene, A., Kapoor, R., Benallegue, N., Gur, R., Anderson, S. A., Alvarez, J. I. : Disruption of the blood-brain barrier in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome 144(5) : 1351-1360, 2021
  • Church, M. E., Ceja, G., McGeehan, M., Miller, M. C., Farias, P., Sánchez, M. D., Swain, G. P., Assenmacher, C. A., Stopa, E. G., Vite, C. H., Bar-Or, A., Alvarez, J. I. : Meningeal B Cell Clusters Correlate with Submeningeal Pathology in a Natural Model of Multiple Sclerosis 207(1) : 44-54, 2021