Richard Warren Aldrich is an American
neuroscientist
A neuroscientist (or neurobiologist) is a scientist specializing in neuroscience that deals with the anatomy and function of neurons, Biological neural network, neural circuits, and glia, and their Behavior, behavioral, biological, and psycholo ...
who is currently the
Karl Folkers Chair of Interdisciplinary Medical Research and Professor of Neurobiology in the School of Biological Sciences at the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...
.
Early life
Graduating from the
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...
with a
BS in Biological Sciences (1975), Aldrich went on to earn a
Ph. D. in Neuroscience from
Stanford University
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
(1980).
After completing a post-doctoral fellowship in
physiology
Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...
at
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
under the direction of W. Knox Chandler and
Charles F. Stevens,
Aldrich was hired to teach at Yale, instructing in the Department of
Molecular Neurobiology
Molecular neuroscience is a branch of neuroscience that observes concepts in molecular biology applied to the nervous systems of animals. The scope of this subject covers topics such as molecular neuroanatomy, mechanisms of molecular signaling in ...
.
In 1985, Aldrich returned to Stanford to teach neurobiology and physiology, eventually serving as Chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology from 2001 to 2004.
He was an Investigator in the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is an American non-profit medical research organization headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland with additional facilities in Ashburn, Virginia. It was founded in 1953 by Howard Hughes, an American busin ...
from 1990 until 2006.
Aldrich's research has focused on the "molecular mechanisms of ion channel function and their role in electrical signaling."
Aldrich has served as the President of the
Society of General Physiologists
The Society of General Physiologists (SGP) is a scientific organization whose purpose is to promote and disseminate knowledge in the field of general physiology, and otherwise to advance understanding and interest in the subject of general physio ...
and the
Biophysical Society
The Biophysical Society is an international scientific society whose purpose is to lead the development and dissemination of knowledge in biophysics. Founded in 1958, the Society currently consists of over 7,000 members in academia, government, an ...
.
Aldrich became a member of the
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
in 2008, and in 2011 was elected to the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...
.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldrich, Richard W.
American neuroscientists
American physiologists
American biophysicists
Howard Hughes Medical Investigators
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
University of Arizona alumni
Stanford University School of Medicine alumni
Yale School of Medicine faculty
University of Texas at Austin faculty
Living people
Stanford University School of Medicine faculty
Year of birth missing (living people)
Presidents of the Biophysical Society
Searle Scholars Program recipients