Dr. Alan Tall is a preeminent scientist whose pioneering work has fundamentally advanced our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic diseases. He currently holds the distinguished position of Tilden-Weger-Bieler Professor of Medicine and Professor of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where he serves as Head of the Division of Molecular Medicine. After completing his medical education at the University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine in Australia, he undertook clinical training with an internship at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital followed by residency and fellowship at Boston Medical Center. Dr. Tall has maintained a distinguished academic career at Columbia University since the early 1990s, demonstrating significant institutional leadership through roles including Chairman of the Committee on Appointments and Promotions and membership on the Tenure Review Advisory Committee.
Dr. Tall's groundbreaking research has revolutionized the field of cholesterol metabolism with his laboratory's seminal discoveries regarding ATP binding cassette transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1, which mediate cellular cholesterol efflux to HDL particles. His team elucidated the critical role of Liver X Receptors in coordinating cellular cholesterol efflux and reverse cholesterol transport, establishing foundational molecular pathways that have informed therapeutic development for cardiovascular diseases. More recently, his work has uncovered the intricate connection between cholesterol trafficking to the endoplasmic reticulum, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and atherosclerosis development, revealing novel mechanisms linking cellular cholesterol accumulation to inflammatory responses. This research has demonstrated how cholesterol accumulation in macrophages triggers inflammasome activation through Aster-B mediated trafficking to the ER, identifying potential new targets for treating atherosclerosis.
Beyond his own research contributions, Dr. Tall has profoundly shaped the field through his mentorship of numerous trainees and collaborative work across disciplines in cardiometabolic medicine. His laboratory continues to explore the unexpected connections between somatic mutations in hematological malignancies and their promotion of metabolic diseases, revealing how age-related mutations in blood cells unexpectedly increase risks for diabetes and atherosclerosis. As principal investigator of an active research program, he investigates the cellular mechanisms linking excessive hematopoietic stem cell proliferation, increased myelopoiesis, and macrophage inflammation to metabolic disease pathogenesis. Dr. Tall remains at the forefront of translational research, with his current work poised to yield innovative therapeutic approaches for treating atherosclerosis and related cardiometabolic conditions through mechanistic understanding of cholesterol transport and immune cell dysfunction.
