Eric H Baehrecke

Eric H. Baehrecke is a Professor and holds the Our Danny Cancer Fund Chair in Biomedical Research II at UMass Chan Medical School. He maintains multiple affiliations across the institution, including the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and various research institutes.

Dr. Baehrecke received his BS in Biology from University of Massachusetts Amherst, MS in Biology from Texas A&M University, and PhD in Cancer Biology from University of Wisconsin, Madison. His academic journey has led to a distinguished career focused on cellular mechanisms of development and disease.

His research focuses on understanding how autophagy is regulated and functions in animals, using Drosophila, mammalian cell lines, and mice as model systems. His work specifically examines how autophagy functions in different cells and tissues under various types of cell stress. His research spans multiple disciplines including cell biology, developmental biology, cancer biology, and molecular genetics, with particular emphasis on the role of autophagy in development, disease, and cellular homeostasis.

Dr. Baehrecke's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the molecular mechanisms of autophagy, particularly in relation to organelle dynamics (ER, mitochondria), cell death pathways, and developmental processes. Key themes in his work include lysosome repair mechanisms, mitochondrial homeostasis, ER-phagy, and the intersection of autophagy with other cell death pathways like ferroptosis. His 2024 publications on autophagy-dependent ferroptosis represent significant contributions to understanding cell death mechanisms.

• International consensus guidelines for autophagy-dependent ferroptosis (2024)
• Regulation of autophagy during animal development (2024)
• ER-phagy and selective clearance mechanisms (2023)
• Atg6's role in suppressing cell stress and inflammation (2022)
• Vps13D's function in mitophagy pathways (2021)

Dr. Baehrecke has made significant contributions to the field through his participation in major consensus guidelines for autophagy research. His work has been highly influential, with several publications receiving hundreds of citations, particularly those related to autophagy guidelines and the relationship between autophagy and cell death.

His laboratory actively trains postdoctoral researchers and collaborates across multiple departments and research programs at UMass Chan Medical School. The lab continues to produce high-impact research that advances our understanding of fundamental cellular processes with implications for human health and disease, particularly in cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.