Prof. Sinisa Hrvatin

Hrvatin investigates how organisms enter torpor and hibernation and how their cells adapt and survive in these states. As a postdoctoral research fellow in the lab of Harvard Medical School neurobiologist Michael Greenberg, Hrvatin established an experimental paradigm for studying a hibernation-like behavior in mice -- and used this system to discover the neurons that control entry into this state. In addition, he pioneered the Paralleled Enhancer Single Cell Assay platform -- a new method to generate cell-type-specific AAV vectors that can be used for targeted human gene therapy, as well as to control defined neuronal cell types across species, including in hibernating animals.

To survive extreme environments, many animals have evolved the ability to profoundly decrease metabolic rate and body temperature and enter states of dormancy, such as torpor and hibernation. The laboratory studies the mysteries of how animals and their cells initiate, regulate, and survive these adaptations. Specifically, we focus on investigating: (1) how the brain regulates torpor and hibernation, (2) how cells adapt to these states, and (3) whether inducing these states can slow down tissue damage, disease progression, and even aging. Our long-term goal is to explore potential applications of inducing similar states of “suspended animation” in humans.