Ellen Lumpkin

Ellen Lumpkin is a Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology at the University of California, Berkeley, in the Department of BIO. Her research focuses on the somatosensory system, investigating how environmental stimuli are encoded into neural signals, with an emphasis on force transduction mechanisms that initiate touch and pain. Her work explores the molecular basis of touch receptor specification, the biophysical properties of mechanosensory neurons, and the neural circuits involved in tactile processing. She collaborates closely with Professor Diana M. Bautista and utilizes molecular, genetic, and neurophysiological approaches to study these phenomena.