Elizabeth Murphy, Ph.D.

Dr. Murphy works to protect the heart, where interruption of the blood supply can result in cardiac cell death and irreversible muscle damage. Since 2006, she has been a senior investigator at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Under her leadership, the Laboratory of Cardiac Physiology studies the molecular mechanisms involved in cardiac cell death and mechanisms that shield the heart against damage. This knowledge should lead to novel therapies to reduce cardiac injury during ischemia and reperfusion. As part of her overall interest in cardioprotection, Dr. Murphy is particularly interested in understanding the natural cardioprotection that exists among pre-menopausal females. Her lab is currently examining whether selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), can mediate cardioprotection in a similar fashion to endogenous estrogen, opening up a possible therapeutic avenue to reduce heart attack damage in women. Dr. Murphy has authored or co-authored more than 200 scientific papers and is a consulting editor for Circulation Research, associate editor for the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, and deputy editor of Cardiovascular Research. She has also served as senior guest editor for Circulation.

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