Robert Alpern, M.D.

Dean, Yale School of Medicine
Professor of Internal Medicine
Section of Nephrology

Clinical Interests

Nephrology, fluid and ectrolytes

Research Interests

Epithelial Physiology
Membrane Transport
Acid-base Homeostasis

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Robert J. Alpern attended undergraduate school at Northwestern University, where he majored in Chemistry. He received his M.D. degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in 1976, and received residency training in Internal Medicine at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Following this, he performed a postdoctoral fellowship in Nephrology in the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of California, San Francisco. In 1982, Dr. Alpern joined the faculty at the University of California, San Francisco, and in 1987 he was recruited to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center as Chief of the Division of Nephrology. At Southwestern Dr. Alpern held the Ruth W. and Milton P. Levy, Sr. Chair in Molecular Nephrology and the Atticus James Gill, M.D. Chair in Medical Science. In July 1998 Dr. Alpern was appointed Dean of Southwestern Medical School and in June 2004, he moved to the Yale University School of Medicine to become the Ensign Professor of Medicine and Dean of the medical school. Dr. Alpern’s research has focused on the regulation of kidney transport proteins. In addition Dr. Alpern has been highly committed to teaching and clinical medicine. In 2000 he was elected President of the American Society of Nephrology. He was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians and the Institute of Medicine and has served on the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

PubMed Search for articles by faculty member

Publications

• Chu T-S, Y Peng, A Cano, M Yanagisawa, RJ Alpern. ETB receptor activates NHE-3 by Ca2+-dependent pathway in OKP cells. J Clin Invest 97:1454-1462,1996.
• Melnick JZ, PA Srere, NA Elshourbagy, OW Moe, PA Preisig, RJ Alpern. ATP citrate lyase mediates hypocitraturia of chronic metabolic acidosis in rats. J Clin Invest 98:2381-2387,1996.
• Yamaji Y, H Tsuganezawa, OW Moe, RJ Alpern. Intracellular acidosis activates c-Src. Am J Physiol 272 (Cell Physiology 41):C886-C893,1997.
• Ambühl PA, M Amemiya, PA Preisig, OW Moe, RJ Alpern. Chronic hyperosmolality increases NHE3 activity in OKP cells. J Clin Invest 101:170-177,1998.
• Ambühl PA, X Yang, Y Peng, PA Preisig, OW Moe, RJ Alpern. Glucocorticoids enhance acid activation of NHE3. J Clin Invest 103:429-435,1999.
• Amemiya M, K Tabei, E Kusano, Y Asano, RJ Alpern. Incubation of OKP cells in low K+ media increases NHE3 activity following an early decrease in intracellular pH. Am J Physiol, 276 (Cell Physiology 45): C711-C716,1999.
• Peng Y, OW Moe, T-S Chu, PA Preisig, M Yanagisawa, RJ Alpern. ETB receptor activation leads to activation and phosphorylation of NHE3. Am J Physiol 276: (Cell Physiology 45): C938-C945,1999.
• Yang, X, M Amemiya, Y Peng, OW Moe, PA Preisig, RJ Alpern. Acid incubation causes exocytic insertion of NHE3 in OKP cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiology 279: C410-C419, 2000.
• Peng Y, M Amemiya, X Yang, L Fan, OW Moe, H Yin, PA Preisig, M Yanagisawa, RJ Alpern. ETB receptor activation causes exocytic insertion of NHE3 in OKP cells. Am J Physiol: Renal Physiology 280: F34-F42, 2001.
• Laghmani, K, PA Preisig, OW Moe, M Yanagisawa, RJ Alpern. Endothelin-1/endothelin-B receptor-mediated increases in NHE3 activity in chronic metabolic acidosis. J Clin Invest 107: 1563-1569, 2001.
• Li, S, S Sato, X Yang, PA Preisig, RJ Alpern. Pyk2 is a pH sensor signaling acid activation of NHE3 in OKP cells. J Clin. Invest. 114:1782-1789,2004.
• Laghmani, K., A. Sakamoto, M. Yanagisawa, P.A. Preisig, and R.J. Alpern. A consensus sequence in the endothelin B receptor second intracellular loop is required for NHE3 activation by endothelin-1. Am. J. Physio. 288:F732-F739, 2005.

Education:	B.A., Northwestern University, 1972 M.D., University of Chicago, 1976
Training:	Residency: Internal Medicine, Columbia Presbyterian Fellowship; University of California, San Francisco

Contact

Campus Address
SHM C203

Mailing Address
333 Cedar St.
New Haven, CT 06510

E-mail
robert.alpern@yale.edu

Office Phone
(203) 785-4672