Richard Warren Aldrich

Dr. Richard W. Aldrich is a Professor of Neuroscience and the Karl Folkers Chair in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research at the University of Texas at Austin. Aldrich studies the molecular, biophysical, and physiological function of ion channels. Ion channels are the molecular units of electrical signaling in cells. They are proteins that regulate the movement of ions – such as sodium, calcium, and potassium – into and out of cells. They are responsible for the conversion of external sensory signals to the electrical language of the nervous system and for the integration of these signals to generate appropriate behavior. Ion channels are also important for the generation and regulation of the heartbeat, for contraction of muscles, and for the release of hormones in the bloodstream. The body contains a large variety of ion channel types, specialized to select for certain species of ions and to selectively open and close in response to a number of different stimuli, such as the binding of a neurotransmitter molecule or a change in the voltage that exists across a cell's membrane. Work in the Aldrich laboratory is directed towards understanding the mechanisms of ion channel function and the role of ion channels in electrical signaling and physiology. The Aldrich lab uses a combination of molecular biology, electrophysiology, biophysics, cellular and systems physiology, and computational biology to explore questions about the mechanics and function of ion channels. A second research focus is on the biophysics of the calcium signaling protein calmodulin.  In addition to his American Academy of Arts and Sciences membership, Aldrich is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the Biophysical Society.  His numerous publications appear in journals including Journal of General Physiology, Nature, and Nature Neuroscience.