Ehud Isacoff

Ehud Isacoff is a Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. He leads the Isacoff Lab, which focuses on ion channel function, neurotransmitter receptors, synaptic transmission, and optogenetic tools. His research combines electrophysiology, spectroscopy, and advanced imaging to study molecular mechanisms in neural circuits.

• Primary affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley
• Key focus areas: Voltage-gated ion channels, GPCRs, synaptic plasticity, and neurodegenerative disease modeling
• Developed optical methods like photoactivatable calcium indicators and chemical optogenetics

Research interests emphasize understanding how ion channels and receptors control neuronal communication, with applications in Parkinson’s disease and psychiatric drug discovery. His lab pioneered tools to manipulate synaptic proteins with light, enabling precise control over neural activity.

Selected contributions include studies on voltage sensor dynamics in potassium channels, super-resolution quantal imaging of synapses, and allosteric modulation mechanisms. His work has been published in top journals like Nature, Science, and Neuron.

• Awards: Elected to the National Academy of Sciences (2018)
• Grants & Collaborations: Active in NIH-funded projects on synaptic signaling and optogenetic technologies

Lab members include graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and technical staff specializing in electrophysiology, molecular biology, and computational modeling. The lab collaborates with institutions like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of Freiburg.