UM Directory

Erica Woodahl, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences and Director of the L.S. Skaggs Institute for Health Innovation (SIHI) at the University of Montana. She also serves as Co-Director of the NIH-funded Rocky Mountain Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (RMT-REACH). Dr. Woodahl received a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame, a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from the University of Washington, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Cenber. Her research focuses on community-engaged approaches to increase participation in clinical research and accelerate the translation of biomedical discoveries into real-world health solutions that benefit all populations. Dr. Woodahl has established long-standing partnerships with rural and Indigenous communities to advance precision medicine and pharmacogenomics research, identifying factors that contribute to variability in treatment outcomes, and supporting the translation of discoveries into clinical practice. Her work is grounded in community-based participatory research and addresses the complex and important challenges of conducting clinical research with rural and Indigenous communities.

Education

B.S. Biochemistry; University of Notre Dame (1998)

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics; University of Washington (2004)

Postdoctoral Fellow; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Research Interests

Please visit the Precision Medicine Project to learn more!

The research focus of the Woodahl laboratory is on precision medicine and pharmacogenomics to identify sources of interindividual variability in disease treatment and prevention (e.g. genes, environment, and lifestyle). We are interested in genetic and environmental factors that alter the pharmacokinetics, or ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination), and pharmacodynamics of many therapeutic compounds. Translation of pharmacogenomics into clinical practice requires genetic research with diverse patient populations to accurately predict drug response and toxicity for all people. Towards this end, we focus on precision medicine and pharmacogenomics with rural and underserved populations.

American Indian and Alaska Native populations in the United States have largely been left out of precision medicine and pharmacogenomics research. Our research is part of the Northwest-Alaska Pharmacogenomics Research Network (NWA-PGRN), whose goals are to engage indigenous populations in precision medicine research (1U01GM092676 and P01GM116691). In Montana, we have established a community-academic partnership with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes living on the Flathead Reservation. This work includes the characterization of genetic variation and environmental factors that predict drug response and toxicity. Precision medicine research has broad utility across many therapeutic areas, with our primary focus on medications for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. 

Our community-academic partnership is grounded in community-based participatory research to aid in the translation of precision medicine research into the clinic. We use community-engaged research to address complex and important challenges to conducting precision medicine research with American Indian and Alaska Native communities (R01HG009500) including alignment of research with tribal health priorities, developing community-responsive approaches to the return of research results to tribal participants and their communities, and addressing issues of data stewardship that support the full participation of tribal communities in research.

The Woodahl laboratory is also focused on understanding the mechanisms by which pharmacogenomics alter the function of drug-metabolizing enzymes (e.g. cytochrome P450 drug-metabolizing enzymes), drug transporters (e.g. ATP-binding cassette transporters), and regulatory proteins (e.g. vitamin D homeostasis) that contribute to drug disposition. We are using a combination of computational, membrane-based, cell-based, and in vivo models to study the functional consequence of genetic variation in drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters.

Field of Study

Precision Medicine, Pharmacogenomics/Pharmacogenetics, Health Humanities, Community Engagement, Rural and Tribal Populations

Publications

Complete List of Published Work in My Bibliography.

Staples JW, Killam SR, Brown KE, Dalton R, Sather E, Chen Q, Loveland J, Schwanke C, Elias AF, Bigos KL, Woodahl EL. Genomic insights into risperidone treatment outcomes in children and adolescents: experience from a psychiatric hospital serving rural youth. Clin Pharmacol Ther, in press.

Killam SR, Azure B, Bodnar CB, Finley V, Grant MR, Kelly P, Brown KE, Woodahl EL. Community Partnerships in Clinical Research: A Framework for Sustainability and Resilience. Clin Pharmacol Ther, in press.

Walley AH, Dupuis LN, Woodahl EL, Killam SR. Ibrexafungerp: Mechanism of action, clinical, and translational science. Clin Transl Sci, 18:e70362, 2025.

Smith DM, Douglas MP, Aquilante CL, Deverka PA, Devine B, Dunnenberger HM, Empey PE, Hertz DL, Monte AA, Moyer AM, Patel JN, Pratt VM, Saulsberry L, Scott SA, Voora D, Woodahl EL, Whirl-Carrillo M, Oni-Orisan A, on behalf of the Pharmacogenomics Global Research Network (PGRN) Publications Committee. Progress in Pharmacogenomics Implementation in the U.S.: Barrier Erosion and Remaining Challenges. Clin Pharmacol Ther, 118:778-789, 2025.

Wichman ML, Wall DM, Garcia Mota SS, Killam SR, Brown KE, Aagaard K, Swaney J, Muzquiz LI, Corum BN, Claw KG, Woodahl EL. Perspectives on using pharmacogenomics to guide tobacco cessation: Survey results from an American Indian community. Clin Transl Sci, 18:e70194, 2025.

Zhao F, Atxabal U, Mariottini S, Yi F, Lotti JS, Layeux MS, Currier C, Maderia MP, Cornelison LE, Anderson CM, Schultz EP, Zhang Z, Jiang L, Gao Z, Liu N, Woodahl EL, Bunch L, Hansen KN, Clausen RP. Design of (R)-3-(5-Thienyl)carboxamido-2-aminopropanoic Acid Derivatives as Novel NMDA Receptor Glycine Site Agonists: Variation in Molecular Geometry to Improve Potency and Augment GluN2 Subunit-Specific Activity. J Med Chem, 68:3572-3590, 2025.

Gong L, Klein CJ, Caudle KE, Moyer AM, Scott SA, Whirl-Carrillo M, Klein TE, ClinGen Pharmacogenomics Working Group (PGxWG). Integrating Pharmacogenomics into the Broader Construct of Genomic Medicine: Efforts by the ClinGen Pharmacogenomics Working Group (PGxWG). Clin Chem, 71:36-44, 2025. *Woodahl EL: member of PGxWG

Cavallari LH, Hicks JK, Patel JN, Elchynski AL, Smith DM, Bargal SA, Fleck A, Aquilante CL, Killam SR, Lemke L, Ochi T, Ramsey LB, Haidar CE, Ho T, Rouby NE, Monte AA, Allen JD, Beitelshees AL, Bishop JR, Bousman C, Campbell R, Cicali E, Cook KJ, Duong B, Tsermpini EE, Girdwood ST, MD, Gregornik DB, Grimsrud KN, Lamb N, Lee JC, Lopez RO, Mazhindu TA, Morris SA, Nagy M, Nguyen J, Pasternak AL, Petry N, Schaik RHN, Schultz A, Skaar TC, Alshaykh HA, Stevenson JM, Stone RM, Tran NK, Tuteja S, Woodahl EL, Yuan LC, Lee CR. The Pharmacogenomics Global Research Network Implementation Working Group: Global Collaboration to Advance Pharmacogenetic Implementation. Pharmacogenet Genomics, 35:1-11, 2025.

Bosic-Reiniger J, Martin J, Brown K, Anderson H, Blackburn H, Kao D, Trinkley K, Woodahl E, Aquilante C. Barriers and Facilitators of the Use of Clinical Informatics Resources to Facilitate Pharmacogenomic Implementation in Resource-Limited Settings. JAMIA Open, 7: ooae101, 2024.

Claw KG, Dorr CR, Woodahl EL. Implementing Community-engaged Pharmacogenomics in Indigenous communities. Nat Commun, 15:920, 2024.

Brown KE, Fohner AE, Woodahl EL. Beyond the individual: Community-centric approaches to increase diversity in biomedical research. Clin Pharmacol Ther, 113:509-517, 2023.

Leitch TM, Killam SR, Brown KE, Katseanes KC, George KM, Schwanke, C, Loveland J, Elias AF, Haney K, Krebsbach K, Muzquiz LI, Trinidad SB, Woodahl EL. Ensuring Equity: Pharmacogenetic Implementation in Rural and Tribal Communities. Front Pharmacol, 13:953142, 2022.

Burke W, Beans JA, Benally M, Cho MK, Garrison NA, Hiratsuka V, Hopkins S, Spicer PG, Tsosie KS, Woodahl EL, Yracheta JM, Thummel K. Values and practices to strengthen genetic research partnerships with Indigenous communities. Prog Community Health Partnersh, 16:583-592, 2022.

Beans JA, Trinidad SB, Blacksher E, Hiratsuka VY, Spicer P, Woodahl EL, Boyer BB, Lewis CM, Gaffney PM, Garrison NA, Burke W. Communicating precision medicine research: multidisciplinary teams and diverse communities. Public Health Genomics, 23:1-9, 2022.

Blacksher, E, Trinidad SB, Woodbury RB, Hopkins SE, Woodahl EL, Boyer BB, Burke W, Hiratsuka, V. Tribal deliberations about precision medicine research: Addressing diversity and inequity in democratic deliberation design and evaluation. J Empire Res Hum Res Ethics, 17:304-316, 2022.

Brown KE, Staples JW, Woodahl EL. Keeping pace with CYP2D6 haplotype discovery: Innovative methods to assign function. Pharmacogenomics, 23:255-262, 2022.

Trinidad SB, Blacksher E, Woodbury RB, Hopkins SE, Burke W, Woodahl EL, Boyer BB, Hiratsuka, VY. Precision medicine research with American Indian and Alaska Native communities: Results of a deliberative engagement with Tribal leaders. Genet Med, 24:622-630, 2022.

Sangkuhl K, Claudio-Campos K, Cavallari LH, Agúndez JAG, Whirl-Carrillo M, Duconge J, Del Tredici AL, Wadelius M, Botton MR, Woodahl EL, Stuart SA, Klein TE, Pratt VM,  Daly AK, Gaedigk A. PharmVar GeneFocus: CYP2C9. Clin Pharmacol Ther, 110:662-676, 2021.

Fohner AE, Dalton R, Skagen K, Jackson K, Claw KG, Hopkins SE, Robinson R, Khan BA, Prasad B, Schuetz EG, Nickerson DA, Thornton TA, Dillard DA, Boyer BB, Thummel KE, Woodahl EL. Characterization of CYP3A pharmacogenetic variation in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, targeting CYP3A4*1G allele function. Clin Transl Sci, 14:1292-1302, 2021.

Botton MR, Whirl-Carrillo M, Del Tredici AL, Sangkuhl K, Cavallari LH, Agúndez JAG, Duconge J, Lee MTM, Woodahl EL, Claudio-Campos K, Daly AK, Klein TE, Pratt VM, Scott SA, Gaedigk A. PharmVar GeneFocus: CYP2C19. Clin Pharmacol Ther, 109:352-366, 2021.

McInnes G, Dalton R, Sangkuhl K, Whirl-Carrillo M, Lee S, Tsao PS, Gaedigk A, Altman RB, Woodahl EL. Transfer learning enables prediction of CYP2D6 haplotype function. PLoS Comput Biol, 16:e1008399, 2020.

Staples JW, Stine JM, Mäki-Lohiluoma E, Steed E, George KM, Thompson CM, Woodahl EL. Food Dyes as P-glycoprotein Modulators. Food Chem Toxicol, 146:111785, 2020.

Dalton R, Lee S, Claw KG, Prasad B, Phillips BR, Shen DD, Wong LH, Fade M, McDonald MG, Dunham MJ, Fowler DM, Rettie AE, Schuetz E, Thornton TA, Nickerson DA, Gaedigk A, Thummel KE, Woodahl EL. Interrogation of CYP2D6 structural variant alleles improves the correlation between CYP2D6 genotype and CYP2D6-mediated metabolic activity. Clin Transl Sci, 13:147-156, 2020.

Fohner AE, Volk KG, Woodahl EL. Democratizing Precision Medicine Through Community Engagement. Clin Pharmacol Ther 106:488-490, 2019.

Lee SB, Wheeler MM, Patterson K, McGee S, Dalton R, Woodahl EL, Gaedigk A, Thummel KE, Nickerson DA. Stargazer: a software tool for calling star alleles from next-generation sequencing data using CYP2D6 as a model. Genet Med 21:361-372, 2019.

Khan BA, Robinson R, Fohner AE, Muzquiz LI, Schilling BD, Beans JA, Olnes MJ, Trawicki L, Frydenlund H, Laukes C, Beatty P, Phillips B, Nickerson D, Howlett K, Dillard DA, Thornton TA, Thummel KE, Woodahl EL. Cytochrome P450 Genetic Variation Associated with Tamoxifen Biotransformation in American Indian and Alaska Native People. Clin Transl Sci 11:312-321, 2018.

Henderson LM, Claw KG, Woodahl EL, Robinson RF, Boyer BB, Burke W, Thummel KE. P450 Pharmacogenetics in Indigenous North American Populations. J Pers Med 8, 9: 1-33, 2018.

Morales CT, Muzquiz LI, Howlett K, Azure B, Bodnar B, Finley V, Incashola T, Mathias C, Laukes C, Beatty P, Burke W, Pershouse MA, Putnam EA, Trinidad SB, James R, Woodahl EL. Partnership with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes: Establishing an Advisory Committee for Pharmacogenetic Research. Prog Community Health Partnersh 10:173-83, 2016.

Blunston MA, Yonovitz A, Woodahl EL, Smolensky MH. Gentamicin-Induced Ototoxicity and Nephrotoxicity Vary with Circadian Time of Treatment and Entail Separate Mechanisms. Chronobiol Int 32:1223-32, 2015.

Lacher SE, Skagen K, Veit J, Dalton R, Woodahl EL. P-glycoprotein Transport of Neurotoxic Pesticides. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 355:99-107, 2015.

Trahey M Li MJ, Kwon H, Woodahl EL, McClary WD, Atkins WM. Applications of Lipid Nanodiscs for the Study of Membrane Proteins by Surface Plasmon Resonance. Curr Protoc Protein Sci 81:29.13.1-29.13.16, 2015.

Dorfman EH, Trinidad SB, Morales CT, Howlett K, Burke W, Woodahl EL. Pharmacogenomics in Diverse Practice Settings: Implementation Beyond Major Metropolitan Areas. Pharmacogenomics 16:227-37, 2015.

Woodahl EL, Lesko LJ, Hopkins S, Robinson RF, Thummel KE, Burke W. Pharmacogenetic Research in Partnership with American Indian and Alaska Native Communities. Pharmacogenomics 15:1235-41, 2014.

James R, Tsosie R, Sahota P, Parker M, Dillard D, Sylvester I, Lewis J, Klejka J, Muzquiz L, Olsen P, Whitener R, Burke W; Kiana Group*. Exploring pathways to trust: a tribal perspective on data sharing. Genet Med 16:820-6, 2014. *Woodahl EL (member of Kiana Group)

Lacher SE, Gremaud JN, Skagen K, Steed E, Dalton R, Sugden KD, Cardozo-Pelaez F, Sherwin CMT, Woodahl EL. Absence of P-glycoprotein Transport in the Pharmacokinetics and Toxicity of the Herbicide Paraquat. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 348:336-45, 2014.

Fohner A, Muzquiz LI, Austin MA, Gaedigk A, Gordon A, Thornton T, Rieder MJ, Pershouse MA, Putnam EA, Howlett K, Beatty P, Thummel KE, Woodahl EL. Pharmacogenetics in American Indian Populations: Analysis of CYP2D6, CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and CYP2C9 in the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Pharmacogenet Genomics 23:403-14, 2013.

McCune JS, Woodahl EL, Furlong T, Storer B, Wang J, Heimfeld S, Deeg HJ, O'Donnell PV. A Pilot Pharmacologic Biomarker Study of Busulfan and Fludarabine in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 69:263-72, 2012.

Boyer BB, Dillard D, Woodahl EL, Whitener R, Thummel KE, Burke W. Ethical Issues in Developing Pharmacogenetic Research Partnerships with Indigenous Communities. Clin Pharmacol Ther 89:343-5, 2011.

Woodahl EL, Crouthamel MH, Bui T, Shen DD, Ho RJY. MDR1 (ABCB1) G1199A (SER400ASN) Polymorphism Alters Transepithelial Permeability and Sensitivity to Anticancer Agents. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 64:183-188, 2009.

Woodahl EL, Wang J, Heimfeld S, Sandmaier BM, McCune JS. Intracellular Disposition of Fludarabine Triphosphate in Human Natural Killer Cells. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 63:959-964, 2009.

Woodahl EL, Wang J, Heimfeld S, Sandmaier BM, O'Donnell PV, Phillips B, Risler L, Blough DK, McCune JS. A Novel Phenotypic Method To Determine Fludarabine Triphosphate Accumulation in T-Lymphocytes from Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Patients. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 63:391-401, 2009.

Woodahl EL, Wang J, Heimfeld S, Ren AG, McCune JS. Imatinib Inhibition of Fludarabine Uptake in T-Lymphocytes. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 62:735-739, 2008.

Woodahl EL, Hingorani SR, Wang J, Guthrie KA, McDonald GB, Batchelder A, Li M, Schoch HG, McCune JS. Pharmacogenomic Associations in ABCB1 and CYP3A5 with Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney Disease after Myeloablative Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Pharmacogenomics J 8:248-255, 2008.

Woodahl EL, Yang Z, Bui T, Shen DD, Ho RJY. MDR1 G1199A Polymorphism Alters Permeability of HIV Protease Inhibitors Across P-glycoprotein-Expressing Epithelial Cells. AIDS 14:1617-1625, 2005.

Woodahl EL and Ho RJY. The Role of MDR1 Genetic Polymorphisms in Interindividual Variability in P-glycoprotein Expression and Function. Curr Drug Metab 5:11-19, 2004.

Woodahl EL and Ho RJY. Augmentation of Cell-Mediated Immunity to Virus. In: Cellular Drug Delivery: Principle and Practice. Ed: D. Robert Lu and Svein Øie, Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ, 2004.

Woodahl EL, Yang Z, Bui T, Shen DD, Ho RJY. Multidrug Resistance Gene G1199A Polymorphism Alters Efflux Transport Activity of P-glycoprotein. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 310:1199-1207, 2004.

Yang Z, Woodahl EL, Wang XY, Bui T, Shen DD, Ho RJY. Semi-Quantitative RT-PCR Method to Estimate Full-Length mRNA Levels of the Multidrug Resistance Gene. Biotechniques 33:196-203, 2002.

Affiliations

Graduate Programs

• Director, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Design
• Affiliate, Public Health

Research Institutes & Centers

• Director, L.S. Skaggs Institute for Health Innovation
• Co-Director, Rocky Mountain Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub
• Associate Director, Community Engagement Core, Montana Clinical and Translational Research Center
• Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics
• Center for Translational Medicine

National

• Affiliate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Washington
• Past President, Pharmacogenomics Global Research Network
• Associate Editor, Clinical & Translational Sciences
• ClinPGx, Scientific Advisory Board
• Steering Committee, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Rocky Mountain Discussion Group