About Me
As the scientific director of the Avera McKennan Clinical Laboratory, Dr. Erik Ehli leads a research team focused on delivering precision medicine to our patients and providers. Dr. Ehli is the Technical Supervisor of the CLIA and CAP-certified laboratory within Avera Genetics, providing clinical genetic testing for patients within the Avera Health system and its partners. He is also an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of South Dakota.
Scientific Research Expertise
Dr. Ehli’s research interests lie in the molecular genetic mechanisms of complex diseases, with a strong focus on advancing precision medicine in the cancer and pharmacogenetic space. He has a passion for understanding the role of nature and nurture in health and disease using the classical twin design.
Areas of Interest
- Pharmacogenetics
- DNA/RNA sequencing
- Whole genome SNP genotyping
- DNA methylation
- PCR
- Polygenic risk scoring
- Tumor testing
- Classical twin design
View Research Publications
Special Interests
Currently working as a Research Scientist at Avera Genetics, Dr. Ehli has a research interest in the molecular genetics of complex diseases. He is actively involved in leading genotyping projects on samples collected from children and adolescents through the Netherlands Twin Register.
In addition, Dr. Ehli is working on the molecular characterization of metastatic breast cancer and has an interest in understanding the tumor genetics of gynecological cancer, specifically uterine sarcoma.
