Cindy Ehlers

Cindy Ehlers, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI). Her work focuses on understanding genetic and neurobiological factors influencing alcoholism across diverse ethnic groups, including Native, African, and Hispanic Americans. She investigates the neurophysiological underpinnings of substance dependence and the developmental impacts of alcohol exposure on fetal and adolescent brains.

Education: B.S. in Physiology (University of California, Davis, 1973); Ph.D. in Physiology (University of California, Davis, 1977). Postdoctoral training at UCLA and The Salk Institute preceded her academic roles at Scripps Research since 1983. She holds adjunct professorships in Psychiatry at UC San Diego and the University of Pittsburgh.

Research Interests: Ehlers' lab integrates genetic studies, clinical data, and environmental risk factors to elucidate alcoholism etiology. Key areas include identifying protective/ risk genetic variants, neurodevelopmental consequences of alcohol exposure, and developing culturally tailored prevention strategies. Her work bridges basic science and clinical applications, emphasizing translational outcomes.

Publications Highlight: Recent work on genetic markers predicting alcoholism severity in American Indians, neurobiological effects of adolescent alcohol exposure, and EEG-based biomarkers for alcohol-related disorders. These studies emphasize translational relevance and ethnic diversity in research.

Awards: Over four decades of recognition, including NIH Merit Award (2007), RSA Distinguished Researcher Award (2014), and Henri Begleiter Excellence Award (2020). Her contributions span research leadership roles in alcohol studies and editorial boards for major journals.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Ehlers Lab at TSRI, focusing on neurogenetics and alcohol research. Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on projects funded by NIAAA and NIH.