Dr. Sandra Aleksic is an Assistant Professor in Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Geriatrics. She earned her medical degree from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Medicine in Serbia. She completed residency in internal medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She earned a Master of Science in Clinical Research Methods through Einstein’s Clinical Research Training Program. She is the recipient of a Career Development Award from the Einstein/Montefiore Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Resnick Emerging Scholar in Aging Research Award and Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging. 

Dr. Aleksic’s research aims to uncover metabolic and endocrine mechanisms underlying healthy aging and longevity. Specifically, her translational research is focused on neuroendocrine regulation of aging and the role of the hypothalamus in human aging. Her team utilizes novel MRI-based methods to assess hypothalamic microstructure in order to elucidate its role in neuroendocrine and metabolic disturbances that underlie unhealthy aging and development of age-related disease.

Selected Publications:

• Aleksic S, Desai D, Ye K, Duran S, Gao T, Crandall J, Atzmon G, Barzilai N, Milman S. Integrity of hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis in exceptional longevity. Aging Cell. 2022 Jun 29:e13656. doi: 10.1111/acel.13656. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35770332.

• Kulkarni AS*, Aleksic S*, Berger DM, Sierra F, Kuchel GA, Barzilai N. Geroscience-guided repurposing of FDA-approved drugs to target aging: A proposed process and prioritization. Aging Cell. 2022 Apr;21(4):e13596. doi: 10.1111/acel.13596. Epub 2022 Mar 27. PMID: 35343051; PMCID: PMC9009114 (*equally contributed)

• Lontchi-Yimagou E*, Aleksic S*, Hulkower R, et al. Plasma Epinephrine Contributes to the Development of Experimental Hypoglycemia-Associated Autonomic Failure. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020;105(11):dgaa539. PMID: 32915987. (*equally contributed)

• Aleksic S, Eisenberg R, Tsomos E, et al. Glycemic management and clinical outcomes in underserved minority kidney transplant recipients with type 2 and posttransplantation diabetes: A single-center retrospective study. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2020 Jul;165:108221. PMCID: PMC7415727.

• Carey M, Lontchi-Yimagou E, Mitchell W, Reda S, Zhang K, Kehlenbrink S, Koppaka S, Maginley SR, Aleksic S, Bhansali S, Huffman DM, Hawkins M. Central KATP Channels Modulate Glucose Effectiveness in Humans and Rodents. Diabetes. 2020 Jun;69(6):1140-1148. PMCID: PMC7243288.

• Zhang WB*, Aleksic S*, Gao T, et al. Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 and IGF Binding Proteins Predict All-Cause Mortality and Morbidity in Older Adults. Cells. 2020 Jun 1;9(6). PMCID: PMC7349399. (*equally contributed)

• Jotic A, Milicic T, Covickovic Sternic N, Kostic VS, Lalic K, Jeremic V, Mijailovic M, Lukic L, Rajkovic N, Civcic M, Macesic M, Seferovic JP, Stanarcic J, Aleksic S, Lalic NM. Decreased Insulin Sensitivity and Impaired Fibrinolytic Activity in Type 2 Diabetes Patients and Nondiabetics with Ischemic Stroke. Int J Endocrinol. 2015;2015:934791. PMCID: PMC4452095.

• Milicic T, Jotic A, Markovic I, Lalic K, Jeremic V, Lukic L, Rajkovic N, Popadic D, Macesic M, Seferovic JP, Aleksic S, Stanarcic J, Civcic M, Lalic NM. High Risk First Degree Relatives of Type 1 Diabetics: An Association with Increases in CXCR3(+) T Memory Cells Reflecting an Enhanced Activity of Th1 Autoimmune Response. Int J Endocrinol. 2014;2014:589360. PMCID: PMC3979071.

• Jotic A, Covickovic Sternic N, Kostic VS, Lalic K, Milicic T, Mijailovic M, Lukic Lj, Civcic M, Colak E, Macesic M, Seferovic JP, Aleksic S, Lalic N. Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Ischemic Stroke: Decreased Insulin Sensitivity and Decreases in Antioxidant Enzyme Activity Are Related to Different Stroke Subtypes. Int J Endocrinol. 2013;2013:401609. PMCID: PMC3697295.