Richard Aldrich is interested in the molecular mechanisms of ion channel function and their role in electrical signaling.
Ion channels are the molecular units of electrical signaling in 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. They are specialized to select for certain species of ions and to 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. Our lab is interested in the mechanisms of ion channel function.