Ellen Rorke

Ellen Rorke is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Her research focuses on transcriptional regulation of epidermal differentiation, particularly in stratified epithelial cells lining the skin, uterus, and cervix.

• BA, Richmond College, 1972
• PhD, University of Connecticut, 1978
• Fellow, University of Illinois, mentored by Dr. Benita S. Katzenellenbogen

Dr. Rorke's work centers on the Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) pathway in keratinocyte differentiation. Using transgenic mouse models, she studies how AP-1 inhibition leads to skin disorders like ichthyosis and keratoderma, examining structural, biochemical, and signaling changes in epidermal layers.

Her publications (2010–2017) span molecular biology, dermatology, and biochemistry, focusing on AP-1 signaling, epidermal homeostasis, and skin cancer mechanisms. Articles explore keratinocyte differentiation, tumor formation, and genetic regulation in epithelial cells.