She is an expert on cell death in neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's disease. Ellerby and her Buck colleague Robert Hughes recently discovered a new lead to potential drug therapies for Huntington's disease by focusing on the huntingtin protein (Htt). In 2010, Ellerby was one of the lead authors of a Neuron cover article about this research. The Ellerby lab is also exploring possible methods to stimulate the growth of new nerve cells to replace those lost in Huntington’s disease sufferers.