معرفی
Heike Wulff is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on ion channel modulation as a therapeutic strategy for autoimmune, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. She leads a lab investigating voltage-gated K+ channels (Kv1.3) and calcium-activated K+ channels (KCa3.1/KCa2.2) in immune and neuronal systems, exploring their roles in diseases like stroke, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s. Her work combines structural biology, drug design, and preclinical models to develop channel modulators for clinical translation.
Key research areas include:
- Design of selective Kv1.3/KCa3.1 blockers for autoimmune disorders
- Development of KCa2/3 activators for hypertension and ataxia
- Neuroprotective effects of Kv1.3 inhibition in stroke and neurodegeneration
- Role of KCa3.1 in T-cell function and tumor microenvironments
- Structural basis of ion channel-drug interactions via cryo-EM
Publications emphasize translational research, with recent work on neuroinflammation mechanisms, drug repurposing (e.g., riluzole), and computational approaches to ion channel targeting. Her lab collaborates on AI-driven drug discovery and proteomic studies of channel interactomes.
