Ellen J. Hoffman, MD, PhD
Associate Professor in the Child Study CenterDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Appointments
Child Study Center
Primary
Neuroscience
Secondary
Contact Info
Child Study Center
PO Box 207900, 230 South Frontage Road
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
About
Titles
Associate Professor in the Child Study Center
Biography
Ellen J. Hoffman, M.D., Ph.D. was appointed as Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center in July 2015. Ellen is a child psychiatrist, psychiatric geneticist and neurobiologist, and a graduate of the Investigative Medicine PhD Program at Yale, who specializes in the functional analysis of genes in neurodevelopmental disorders. The Hoffman laboratory conducts translational research aimed at understanding the biological mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorders and discovering new pharmacological treatments. Ellen's research focuses on investigating the function of genes that are strongly associated with autism to determine how disruption of these genes alters brain development and the neural circuits underlying simple behaviors. The long-term goal of her research is to use this gene-based approach to identify relevant biological pathways and novel pharmacological treatments that target these pathways. Ellen also works clinically as a child psychiatrist and as an attending supervising Yale child psychiatry fellows.
Appointments
Child Study Center
Associate Professor on TermPrimaryNeuroscience
Associate Professor on TermSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- Yale University, Investigative Medicine (2014)
- Research Fellowship
- Yale University (2011)
- Fellowship
- Mount Sinai School of Medicine (2008)
- Residency
- Mount Sinai School of Medicine (2006)
- MD
- Stony Brook School of Medicine (2003)
- BS
- SUNY at Stonybrook (1999)
Board Certifications
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Certification Organization
- AB of Psychiatry & Neurology
- Latest Certification Date
- 2019
- Original Certification Date
- 2009
Psychiatry
- Certification Organization
- AB of Psychiatry & Neurology
- Latest Certification Date
- 2018
- Original Certification Date
- 2008
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Autistic Disorder; Child Psychiatry; Genetics; Neurobiology; Neuropharmacology; Neurosciences; Pharmacology; Translational Research, Biomedical; Zebrafish
- View Lab Website
Hoffman Lab website
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Ellen J. Hoffman's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Ellen J. Hoffman's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Ellen J. Hoffman is interested in exploring.
Abha Gupta, MD, PhD
Duy Phan, PhD
Adife Gulhan Ercan-Sencicek, MSc, MS, PhD
Aladine Elsamadicy, MD
Brent Vander Wyk, PhD
Catherine Sullivan
22Publications
2,159Citations
Zebrafish
Autistic Disorder
Publications
2024
Review: Child Psychiatry in the Era of Genomics: The Promise of Translational Genetics Research for the Clinic
Fitzpatrick S, Antony I, Nurmi E, Fernandez T, Chung W, Brownstein C, Gonzalez-Heydrich J, Gur R, Merner A, Lázaro-Muñoz G, State M, Simon K, Hoffman E. Review: Child Psychiatry in the Era of Genomics: The Promise of Translational Genetics Research for the Clinic. JAACAP Open 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaacop.2024.06.002.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsGenetic testingHigh-confidence risk genesPsychiatric geneticsApproaches to gene discoveryGenetic researchTranslational genetic researchClinical genetic testingEra of genomicsWhole-exome sequencingChild psychiatric disordersGenetic architectureGene discoveryClinical evaluationPharmacogenetic testingExome sequencingRisk genesGenetic underpinningsGenetic findingsEarly-onset psychosisPsychiatric disordersGenetic conceptsGeneticsLack of familiarityClinical practiceObsessive-compulsive disorder
2023
High-throughput functional analysis of autism genes in zebrafish identifies convergence in dopaminergic and neuroimmune pathways
Mendes H, Neelakantan U, Liu Y, Fitzpatrick S, Chen T, Wu W, Pruitt A, Jin D, Jamadagni P, Carlson M, Lacadie C, Enriquez K, Li N, Zhao D, Ijaz S, Sakai C, Szi C, Rooney B, Ghosh M, Nwabudike I, Gorodezky A, Chowdhury S, Zaheer M, McLaughlin S, Fernandez J, Wu J, Eilbott J, Vander Wyk B, Rihel J, Papademetris X, Wang Z, Hoffman E. High-throughput functional analysis of autism genes in zebrafish identifies convergence in dopaminergic and neuroimmune pathways. Cell Reports 2023, 42: 112243. PMID: 36933215, PMCID: PMC10277173, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112243.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsGene lossFunctional analysisHigh-throughput functional analysisZebrafish mutantsGene discoverySelect mutantsASD genesAutism genesKey pathwaysASD biologyBrain size differencesMutantsGenesSize differencesPathwayGlobal increaseRelevant mechanismsBiologyCentral challengeNeuroimmune dysfunctionRegionFunctionDiscoveryAutism spectrum disorder
2021
Signaling Pathways and Sex Differential Processes in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Enriquez KD, Gupta AR, Hoffman EJ. Signaling Pathways and Sex Differential Processes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Frontiers In Psychiatry 2021, 12: 716673. PMID: 34690830, PMCID: PMC8531220, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.716673.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsASD genetic studiesBiological pathwaysGenetic studiesRisk gene discoveryCellular pathways downstreamASD risk genesWhole-exome sequencing studiesCommon biological pathwaysGene discoveryPathways downstreamGene expressionSequencing studiesRisk genesMale biasPathwayGenesNeuronal communicationCommon pathwayPotential roleFemale protective effectNeurodevelopmental disordersRecent analysisTranscriptomicsGenomicsRecent investigationsPTEN mutations in autism spectrum disorder and congenital hydrocephalus: developmental pleiotropy and therapeutic targets
DeSpenza T, Carlson M, Panchagnula S, Robert S, Duy PQ, Mermin-Bunnell N, Reeves BC, Kundishora A, Elsamadicy AA, Smith H, Ocken J, Alper SL, Jin SC, Hoffman EJ, Kahle KT. PTEN mutations in autism spectrum disorder and congenital hydrocephalus: developmental pleiotropy and therapeutic targets. Trends In Neurosciences 2021, 44: 961-976. PMID: 34625286, PMCID: PMC8692171, DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.08.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDevelopmental pleiotropyPTEN-PI3KMTOR pathwayMolecular pathophysiologyPTEN mutationsMolecular similarityTherapeutic targetCommon underlying mechanismNeurodevelopmental disordersUnderlying mechanismTherapeutic promisePleiotropyBiologyPhenotypicMutationsLimited understandingPathwayCommon neurodevelopmental disorderAutism spectrum disorderSimilarityTargetA simple and effective F0 knockout method for rapid screening of behaviour and other complex phenotypes
Kroll F, Powell GT, Ghosh M, Gestri G, Antinucci P, Hearn TJ, Tunbak H, Lim S, Dennis HW, Fernandez JM, Whitmore D, Dreosti E, Wilson SW, Hoffman EJ, Rihel J. A simple and effective F0 knockout method for rapid screening of behaviour and other complex phenotypes. ELife 2021, 10: e59683. PMID: 33416493, PMCID: PMC7793621, DOI: 10.7554/elife.59683.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsKnockout methodComplex mutant phenotypesLarge genetic screenRapid genetic screeningGenetic screenMutant phenotypeEffective CRISPRBiallelic knockoutMolecular rhythmsHuman genesInjected embryosCircadian clockLarval zebrafishBehavioral phenotypesMultiple genesComplex phenotypesCurrent CRISPRTriple knockoutAttractive modelGenesGenetic contributionZebrafishPhenotypeKnockoutCRISPR
2020
Exome sequencing implicates genetic disruption of prenatal neuro-gliogenesis in sporadic congenital hydrocephalus
Jin SC, Dong W, Kundishora AJ, Panchagnula S, Moreno-De-Luca A, Furey CG, Allocco AA, Walker RL, Nelson-Williams C, Smith H, Dunbar A, Conine S, Lu Q, Zeng X, Sierant MC, Knight JR, Sullivan W, Duy PQ, DeSpenza T, Reeves BC, Karimy JK, Marlier A, Castaldi C, Tikhonova IR, Li B, Peña HP, Broach JR, Kabachelor EM, Ssenyonga P, Hehnly C, Ge L, Keren B, Timberlake AT, Goto J, Mangano FT, Johnston JM, Butler WE, Warf BC, Smith ER, Schiff SJ, Limbrick DD, Heuer G, Jackson EM, Iskandar BJ, Mane S, Haider S, Guclu B, Bayri Y, Sahin Y, Duncan CC, Apuzzo MLJ, DiLuna ML, Hoffman EJ, Sestan N, Ment LR, Alper SL, Bilguvar K, Geschwind DH, Günel M, Lifton RP, Kahle KT. Exome sequencing implicates genetic disruption of prenatal neuro-gliogenesis in sporadic congenital hydrocephalus. Nature Medicine 2020, 26: 1754-1765. PMID: 33077954, PMCID: PMC7871900, DOI: 10.1038/s41591-020-1090-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCongenital hydrocephalusPoor neurodevelopmental outcomesPost-surgical patientsCerebrospinal fluid accumulationNeural stem cell biologyGenetic disruptionWhole-exome sequencingPrimary pathomechanismEarly brain developmentNeurodevelopmental outcomesHigh morbidityCSF diversionMutation burdenFluid accumulationBrain ventriclesCH casesBrain developmentDe novo mutationsPatientsExome sequencingCSF dynamicsDisease mechanismsHydrocephalusNovo mutationsCell typesChapter 26 Modeling autism spectrum disorders in zebrafish
Dreosti E, Hoffman E, Rihel J. Chapter 26 Modeling autism spectrum disorders in zebrafish. 2020, 451-480. DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-817528-6.00026-7.ChaptersCitationsAltmetricConceptsZebrafish modelGenetics of ASDGenome-wide association studiesHundreds of genesNervous system formComplex behavioral repertoireHuman neurodevelopmental disordersWhole-genome sequencingExcellent systemGenetic informationGenome sequencingAssociation studiesGenerate mutationsZebrafishUnique human traitsHuman traitsHuman biologyNeurodevelopmental disordersASD biologyGenetic alterationsRapid discoveryGenesBiologyBehavioral repertoireNeuronal processes
2019
De Novo Damaging DNA Coding Mutations Are Associated With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Overlap With Tourette’s Disorder and Autism
Cappi C, Oliphant ME, Péter Z, Zai G, Conceição do Rosário M, Sullivan CAW, Gupta AR, Hoffman EJ, Virdee M, Olfson E, Abdallah SB, Willsey AJ, Shavitt RG, Miguel EC, Kennedy JL, Richter MA, Fernandez TV. De Novo Damaging DNA Coding Mutations Are Associated With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Overlap With Tourette’s Disorder and Autism. Biological Psychiatry 2019, 87: 1035-1044. PMID: 31771860, PMCID: PMC7160031, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.09.029.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and Concepts
2018
Zebrafish Models of Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Past, Present, and Future
Sakai C, Ijaz S, Hoffman EJ. Zebrafish Models of Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Past, Present, and Future. Frontiers In Molecular Neuroscience 2018, 11: 294. PMID: 30210288, PMCID: PMC6123572, DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00294.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsGene functionZebrafish modelCRISPR/Cas9 geneSmall-molecule suppressorTransparent embryosZebrafish systemHigh-throughput pharmacological screensNeurodevelopmental disordersGenetic manipulationCas9 geneBehavioral phenotypesLarge progenyFunctional analysisLarval stagesPharmacological screensZebrafishRisk genesGenesModel systemExternal developmentPhenotypeCircuit-level mechanismsBasic mechanismsNeural circuitsNervous system
2017
Assessing Risk: Gene Discovery
Fernandez TV, Gupta AR, Hoffman EJ. Assessing Risk: Gene Discovery. In Lewis’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: A Comprehensive Textbook, 5th Edition, Eds. Martin, A, Bloch, MH, Volkmar FR. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwers, 2017.Chapters
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Child Study Center
PO Box 207900, 230 South Frontage Road
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
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