Elizabeth A. Heller

Elizabeth A. Heller is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania within the Perelman School of Medicine and the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics. She is a member of the Penn Epigenetics Institute and directs the Neuroepigenetics Laboratory.

Education:

• PhD in Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University (2009)
• BA in Biology, University of Pennsylvania (2002)
• Stuyvesant High School (1998)

Dr. Heller's research focuses on the epigenetic mechanisms underlying addiction, depression, and stress-related disorders. Her lab employs epigenetic editing tools (e.g., CRISPR/dCas9, zinc-finger proteins) to manipulate histone and DNA modifications at specific genes in vivo, investigating their causal roles in neuronal function and behavior. Key areas include alternative splicing, chromatin remodeling, and long-lasting effects of stress and drugs on neural circuitry.

Recent publications highlight her work on sex-specific stress vulnerabilities, neuroepigenetic editing for therapeutic intervention, and computational models like MousiPLIER for pathway analysis. Her studies integrate high-throughput sequencing and behavioral assays to uncover gene-environment interactions.

Grants and Collaborations: Dr. Heller has received funding for projects on epigenetic therapies and stress resilience, collaborating with institutions on neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.

Labs and Teams: The Neuroepigenetics Laboratory trains graduate students and research specialists, with affiliations to interdisciplinary programs like CAMB and NGG. The lab emphasizes innovative methodologies, including stereotaxic surgery and single-sample sequencing.