Barbara Ehrlich

Barbara Ehrlich is a Professor of Pharmacology and of Cellular And Molecular Physiology at Yale School of Medicine. She holds primary appointments in the Department of Pharmacology and secondary appointments in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology. Her research spans multiple interdisciplinary programs including the Biochemistry, Quantitative Biology, Biophysics and Structural Biology program, the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, and the Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program at Yale Cancer Center.

Dr. Ehrlich earned her PhD from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1979. She completed postdoctoral training at the Departments of Physiology and Neuroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she studied "Incorporation of cardiac and Paramecium calcium channels in lipid bilayers" (1986), and at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA, where she researched "Lithium transport across squid axon membrane" (1980).

Dr. Ehrlich's research focuses on how cells regulate intracellular calcium concentration, which serves as a trigger for numerous cellular events including muscle contraction, hormone secretion, and cell growth. Her laboratory specifically studies calcium release channels including the InsP3-gated channel, the ryanodine receptor/channel, and polycystin-2. The Ehrlich Laboratory, also known as the Laboratory of Molecular Hermeneutics, aims to understand how the functions of these channels are altered by cellular processes, with the knowledge forming the basis for studies of disease-induced changes in calcium release channel function.

Recent research trends show Dr. Ehrlich's work has expanded into translational applications, particularly in cancer biology, chemotherapy-induced side effects, and liver disease. Her team has made significant contributions to understanding how mechanical stresses affect cancer progression, how calcium signaling regulates alcohol-associated hepatitis, and how neuronal calcium sensors might serve as therapeutic targets for conditions like Wolfram syndrome and chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments.

Scientific Awards and Honors

• Blavatnik Foundation Innovator Awardee (2020)
• Washington University Equalize Pitch Competition Finalist (2020)
• K.S. Cole Award for Excellence in Membrane Biophysics (2005)
• Margaret Oakley Dayhoffer Award in Biophysics (1987)
• Pew Scholar (1986)

Dr. Ehrlich has served on the Board of Scientific Counselors for NICHD from 2004-2011 and was a committee member at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA from 2004-2010. She is currently involved in clinical research as a Sub-Investigator for a trial on "Detection of Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy" (HIC ID 2000028597). Her work has significant implications for understanding and treating polycystic kidney diseases, chemotherapy side effects, and cancer progression.

The Ehrlich Laboratory maintains active collaborations across Yale University, particularly with researchers in hepatology, cancer biology, and neuroscience. Current projects focus on intracellular channels (InsP3 Receptor, Ryanodine Receptor, Polycystin-2) and their regulation of calcium signals in health and disease.