Eric Gross, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine, Stanford University

Research Description: The Eric R. Gross lab is a translational research lab precisely advancing anesthetic pharmacology, pain and organ injury research. The research is centrally focused on aldehydes and aldehyde metabolism by the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). Nearly 540 million people carry a genetic variant in ALDH2, ALDH2*2, which affects these biological processes we study. We use a combination of techniques including CRISPR/Cas9 to genetically modify mice, mitochondrial energetic assays, and development of small molecules and peptides to modulate the aldehyde-induced cellular pathways and aldehyde metabolism. This is highlighted by our research published in journals such as Science Translational Medicine, Pain, BJA, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Redox Biology, and Physiological Reviews. Dr. Gross’s Lab collaborates with NORC member, Dr. Wu.