Michael Ellerby, PhD

Professor, College of Pharmacy

Education

  • University of California, Santa Cruz, BS, Chemistry, 1979
  • University of California, Santa Cruz, PhD, Theoretical Chemical Physics,1986
  • University of California, Santa Cruz, Postdoc, Theoretical Chemical Physics,1986-1991
  • University of California, Los Angeles, Senior Postdoc, Theoretical Chemical Physics,1991-1995
  • Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, NIH Senior Fellow, La Jolla, Neurobiology and Aging, 1995-1999

Honors and Awards

  • College of Pharmacy, Touro University, California:
    Professor of the Year Overall (P1 Class) 2021 
    Professor of the Year Overall (P1 Class) 2019 
    Professor of the Year Overall (P1 Class) 2018 
    Professor of the Year Overall (P1 Class) 2017 
    Professor of the Year Overall (P1 Class) 2016 
    Professor of the Year Overall (P1 Class) 2015 
    Professor of the Year Overall (P1 Class) 2007 
    Professor of the Year Overall (P2 Class) 2007
    Professor of the Year, Pharmaceutical Sciences (P1, T2) 2021 
    Professor of the Year, Pharmaceutical Sciences (P2, T2) 2021 
    Professor of the Year, Pharmaceutical Sciences (P1, T2) 2019 
    Professor of the Year, Pharmaceutical Sciences (P1, T2) 2018 
    Professor of the Year, Pharmaceutical Sciences (P1, T2) 2017 
    Professor of the Year, Pharmaceutical Sciences (P1, T2) 2016 
    Professor of the Year, Pharmaceutical Sciences (P1, T2) 2015
    Professor of the Year, Pharmaceutical Sciences (P1, T2) 2012 
    Professor of the Year, Pharmaceutical Sciences (P1, T2) 2011
    COP End of Year Award P1 Most Dedicated Award 2021 
    COP End of Year Award P2 Most Dedicated Award 2021 
    COP End of Year Award P1 Biggest Heart Award 2021 
    COP End of Year Award P2 Biggest Heart Award 2021 
    COP End of Year Award P1 Most Thoughtful Award 2021 
    COP End of Year Award P2 Most Thoughtful Award 2021 
    Best Lecturer 2007 
    Most Dedicated Faculty Member/Professor 2008 
    Most Approachable Professor 2007 
    Best Service Above and Beyond the Call of Duty 2007
    Invited Review Paper, J Med Chem 2008 
    Editor’s Choice Abstract, Cheminform Abstracts 2009
  • Buck Institute for Research on Aging:
    Public and Scientific Abstracts Chosen for DAMD (DOD) Website 2000-01
    Cover Story Article Nature Medicine 1999
    Cover Story Article Journal of Biological Chemistry 2003
  • Sanford-Burnham Institute for Medical Research:
    Joseph Drown Fellowship 1995-1997
    NIH National Research Service Award 1997-1999
  • University of California, Los Angeles:
    Invited Leading Paper, Physical Review E 1994
    National Science Foundation Fellow 1992-93

Recent Publications

1. Andrews FC, Ellerby HM. A simple equilibrium statistical mechanical theory of dense hard sphere fluid mixtures. J Chem Phys. 1981; 75 (5): 3542-52. 

2. Andrews FC, Ellerby HM. A simple equilibrium statistical mechanical theory of dense hard sphere fluid mixtures II. J Chem Phys. 1982; 77 (7): 2703-04. 


3. Ellerby HM, Weakliem CL, Reiss H. Toward a molecular theory of vapor-phase nucleation I. Identification of the average embryo. J Chem Phys. 1991; 95 (12): 9209-18. 


4. Ellerby HM, Reiss H. Toward a molecular theory of vapor-phase nucleation II. Fundamental treatment of the cluster distribution. J Chem Phys. 1992; 97 (8): 5766-72.


5. Reiss H, Ellerby HM, Manzanares JA. Configurational entropy of microemulsions: The fundamental length scale. J Chem Phys. 1993; 99 (12): 9930-37.


6. Ellerby HM. Distribution of density fluctuations in a molecular theory of vapor-phase nucleation. Physical Review E. 1994; 49 (5): 4287-97.


7. Ellerby LM, Ellerby HM, Park SM, Holleran AL, Murphy AN, Fiskum G, Kane DJ, Testa MP, Kayalar C, Bredesen DE. Shift of the cellular oxidation-reduction potential in neural cells expressing Bcl-2. J Neu- rochem. 1996; 67 (3): 1259-67.


8. Reiss H, Ellerby HM, Manzanares JA. Orstein-Zernike equations in statistical geometry- stable and metastable states. J Phys Chem. 1996; 100 (14): 5970-81. 


9. Ellerby HM, MarSn SJ, Ellerby LM, Naiem SS, Rabizadeh S, Salvesen GS, Casiano CA, Cashman NR, Green DR, Bredesen DE. Establishment of a cell-free system of neuronal apoptosis: comparison of pre-mitochondrial, mitochondrial, and post-mitochondrial phases. J Neurosci. 1997; 17 (16): 6165-78.


10. Stennicke HR, Jurgensmeier JM, Shin H, Deveraux Q, Wolf BB, Yang X, Zhou Q, Ellerby HM, Ellerby LM, Bredesen DE, Green DR, Reed JC, Froelich CJ, Salvesen GS. Pro-caspase-3 is a major physiologic target of caspase-8. J Biol Chem. 1998; 273: 27084-90. 


11. Ellerby HM, Arap W, Ellerby LM, Kain R, Andrusiak R, Rio GD, Krajewski S, Lombardo CR, Rao R, Ru- oslahS E, Bredesen DE, Pasqualini R. Anti-cancer activity of targeted pro-apoptotic peptides. Nat Med. 1999; 5: 1032-38. 


12. Ellerby LM, Hackam AS, Propp SS, Ellerby HM, Rabizadeh S, Cashman NR, Trifiro MA, Pinsky L, Wellington CL, Salvesen GS, Hayden MR, Bredesen DE. Kennedy's disease: caspase cleavage of the androgen receptor is a crucial event in cytotoxicity. J Neurochem. 1999; 72 (1): 185-95. 


13. Sueoka Y, Kiyota T, Matsumoto E, Lee S, Sugiharra G, Aso Y, Ellerby HM. Synthesis of mutants of lipophilic core in a de novo designed Small Globular Protein (SGP) and their interactions with lipid- and bio-membranes. Peptide Sci. 1999; 1998: 393-96.


14. Lee S, Kiyota T, Sugihara G, Ellerby HM. De novo design and synthesis of biomembrane-interacting and apoptosis-inducing protein, SGP, and its action mechanism. Tanpakushitsu Kozo Toronkai Koen Yoshishu. 1999; 50: 36-9.


15. Lee S, Ellerby HM, Sugihara G. De novo design and synthesis of a small globular protein forming a pore into lipid bilayers. ACS 1999; 752; 15-22. 


16. Kluck RM, Ellerby LM, Ellerby HM, Naiem S, Yaffe MP, Margoliash E, Bredesen D, Mauk AG, Sherman F, Newmeyer DD. Determinants of cytochrome c pro-apoptoic activity. The role of lysine 72 trimethy- laSon. J Biol Chem. 2000; 275: 16127-33. 


17. Matsumoto E, Kiyota T, Lee S, Sugihara G, Yamashita S, Meno H, Aso Y, Sakamoto H, Ellerby HM. Study on the packing geometry, stoichiometry, and membrane interaction of three analogs related to a pore-forming small globular protein. Biopolymers 2000; 56: 96-108.


18. Rabizadeh S, Ye X, Sperandio S, Wang JJ, Ellerby HM, Ellerby LM, Giza C, Andrusiak RL, Frankowski H, Yaron Y, Moayeri NN, Rovelli G, Evans CJ, Butcher LL, Nolan GP, Assa-Munt N, Bredesen DE. Neurotrophin dependence domain: a domain required for the mediation of apoptosis by the p75 neurotrophin receptor. J Mol Neurosci. 2000; 15: 215-29.


19. del Rio G, Castro-Obregon S, Rao R, Ellerby HM, Bredesen DE. APAP, a sequence-pattern recognition approach identifies substance P as a potential apoptotic peptide. FEBS Len. 2001; 494: 213-9. 


20. Gerlag DM, Borges E, Tak PP, Ellerby HM, Bredesen DE, Pasqualini R, RuoslahS E, Firestein GS. Suppression of murine collagen-induced arthritis by targeted apoptosis of synovial neovasculature. Arthritis Res. 2001; 3: 357-61. 


21. Lee S, Furuya T, Kiyota T, Takami N, Murata K, Niidome Y, Bredesen DE, Ellerby HM, Sugihara G. De novo-designed peptide transforms Golgi-specific lipids into Golgi- like nanotubules. J Biol Chem. 2001; 276: 41224-8. 


22. Rao RV, Hermel E, Castro-Obregon S, del Rio G, Ellerby LM, Ellerby HM, Bredesen DE. Coupling endoplasmic reticulum stress to the cell death program. Mechanism of caspase activation. J Biol Chem. 2001; 276: 33869-74. 


23. Arap W, Haedicke W, Bernasconi M, Kain R, Rajone D, Krajewski S, Ellerby HM, Bredesen DE, Pasqualini R, RuoslahS E. Targeting the prostate for destruction through a vascular address. PNAS 2002; 99:1527-31.


24. Rao RV, Peel A, Logvinova A, del Rio G, Hermel E, Yokota T, Goldsmith PC, Ellerby LM, Ellerby HM, Bredesen DE. Coupling endoplasmic reticulum stress to the cell death program. Role of the ER chaperone GRP78. FEBS Len. 2002; 514: 122-8. 


25. Rao RV, Castro-Obregon S, Frankowski H, Schuler M, Stoka V, Del Rio G, Bredesen DE, Ellerby HM. Coupling Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress to the Cell Death Program. An Apaf-1-Independent Intrinsic Pathway. J Biol Chem. 2002; 277: 21836-42. 


26. Ellerby HM, Lee S, Ellerby LM, Chen S, Kiyota T, del Rio G, Sugihara G, Sun Y, Bredesen DE, Arap W, Pasqualini R. An artificially designed pore-forming protein with anti-tumor effects. J Biol Chem. 2003; 278: 35311-6.


27. Furuya T, Kiyota T, Lee S, Inoue T, Sugihara G, Logvinova A, Goldsmith P, Ellerby HM. Nanotubules formed by highly hydrophobic amphiphilic alpha-helical peptides and natural phospholipids. Biophys J. 2003; 84: 1950-9. 


28. Rao RV, Poksay KS, Castro-Obregon S, Schilling B, Row RH, del Rio G, Gibson BW, Ellerby HM, Bredesen DE. Molecular components of a cell death pathway activated by endoplasmic reticulum stress. J Biol Chem. 2004; 279: 177-87. 


29. Rao RV, Ellerby HM, Bredesen DE. Coupling endoplasmic reticulum stress to the cell death program. Cell Death Differ. 2004; 11: 372-80.


30. Hermel E, Gafni J, Propp SS, Leavin BR, Wellington CL, Young JE, Hackam AS, Logvinova AV, Peel AL, Chen SF, Hook V, Singaraja R, Krajewski S, Goldsmith PC, Ellerby HM, Hayden MR, Bredesen DE, Eller- by LM. Specific caspase interactions and amplification are involved in selective neuronal vulnerability in Huntington's disease. Cell Death Differ. 2004; 11: 424-38. 


31. Sandoval CM, Geierstanger BH, Fujimura S, Balatbat C, Williams T, Unamuno J, Whiles-Lillig JA, Ellerby LM, Ellerby HM, Jennings P, Plesniak LA. Structural evaluation of a novel pro-apoptotic peptide coupled to CNGRC tumor-homing sequence by NMR. Chem Biol Drug Des. 2006; 67, 417-24. 


32. Ellerby HM, Bredesen DB, Fujimura S, John V. Hunter−Killer Peptide (HKP) for targeted therapy. J Med Chem. 2008; 51 5887–92. 


33. Frankowski H, Alavez S, Mark K, Nelson J, Spilman P, Mollahan P, Rao R, Chen S, Lithgow G and Ellerby HM. Small amphipathic molecules extend the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans through a mechanism that involves a decrease in protein aggregation. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 2013; 134: 69–78. 


34. Vo T, Perry P, Ellerby HM, Bohnert, K. Is Lithium a Neuroprotective Agent)? Annals of Clinical Psychiatry 2015; 27, 49-54.

Teaching Responsibilities

PRMC602 Pharmaceutical Sciences 1, PRMC606 Pharmaceutical Sciences 2, PRMC610 Pharmaceutical Sciences 3, PRMC614 Pharmaceutical Sciences 4, PRMC633A Pharmacy Calculations Elective, PRMC633B Pharmacy Calculations Elective

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