Ghovanloo Lab

The Ghovanloo Lab at Yale School of Medicine investigates how ion channels shape neuronal excitability and how these mechanisms can be leveraged to develop new therapies for pain and neurological disorders.

A major focus of our work is voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels, which are essential for electrical signaling throughout the nervous system. We study how changes in channel function alter the electrical behavior of neurons and other excitable cells, and how these changes contribute to disease.

Our research also asks how ion channels can be targeted pharmacologically. Work from the laboratory has defined mechanisms through which small molecules, including nonpsychotomimetic cannabinoids, modulate sodium channels and sensory-neuron excitability, including how targeting Nav1.8 with cannabinoids can influence peripheral sensory signaling relevant to pain.

By connecting fundamental ion-channel mechanisms with cellular physiology and pharmacology, we aim to identify new principles of excitability and translate them into mechanistically informed therapeutic strategies.