In this episode, Professor David Hodson discusses how GLP-1 and GIP receptors regulate metabolism across the pancreas and brain, and why visualizing receptor localization and signaling in real tissues is essential for advancing GPCR drug discovery.
His team develops fluorescence-based and chemically engineered tools to study gpcr internalization and ligand engagement in intact islets and neuronal circuits — insights that inform next-generation functional assay development and translational therapeutic design. The conversation also highlights the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in accelerating innovation in diabetes and obesity research.
Why this matters
How receptor distribution in islets and brain circuits shapes incretin hormone drug effects
Why visualization tools changed our understanding of GPCR signaling in metabolic tissues
What collaborative chemistry enabled in designing receptor-targeted fluorescent ligands
The moment when structural and imaging evidence clarified unexpected glucagon-derived peptide behavior
How future metabolic therapies may evolve based on receptor cross-talk and tissue-specific engagement
Who should listen
Navigated complex datasets where interpretation depended on biological context
Balanced innovation with the need for reproducible, well-controlled functional assays
Worked across disciplines where chemistry, pharmacology, and physiology converge
Questioned how drug action differs in real tissues vs. recombinant cell lines
…this episode will resonate.
About David Hodson
Prof. David Hodson is the Robert Turner Professor of Diabetic Medicine at the University of Oxford, working within the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Originally trained as a Veterinary Surgeon, he completed postdoctoral research at the CNRS in Montpellier before establishing his independent laboratory at Imperial College London as a Diabetes UK RD Lawrence Fellow. He later served as Professor of Cellular Metabolism and Institute Deputy Director at the University of Birmingham.
His group develops imaging and chemical biology tools to reveal how GLP-1 and GIP receptors operate within complex tissues, with direct relevance to type 2 diabetes and obesity therapy.
David Hodson on the Web
