Collaboration isn’t a soft skill — it’s an innovation strategy.

At Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a quiet experiment challenged the traditional PI-silo model: no private labs, shared infrastructure, pooled funding, and student rotations.

The result? An ecosystem where GPCR innovation accelerated — not because of a single star scientist, but because the system itself made collaboration unavoidable.

“No one had their own lab. That meant no one could build a fiefdom — and everyone had to talk.” — Michelle Halls

This structure:

• Multiplied research capacity

• Attracted talent and funding

• Created a durable innovation hub
  

This is more than a story — it’s a blueprint for GPCR science, biotech R&D, and CRO partnerships.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: Leadership, Luck, and GPCR Signaling 🔓 Learn more: Dr. GPCR Premium

#GPCR #DrGPCR #DrugDiscovery #Innovation #ScienceLeadership #Collaboration

Scientific careers aren’t just built on brilliance—they’re shaped by curiosity, timing, and paying close attention.

In this conversation, Michelle Halls reminds us of something every scientist eventually learns: hard work is essential, but noticing the unexpected often defines your biggest breakthroughs.

She also names a truth we rarely acknowledge out loud—luck and timing matter. Many talented scientists leave the field not because they lacked skill, but because the right opportunity didn’t land at the right time.

And that’s why attention to detail, persistence, and a bit of serendipity can change the trajectory of a research career.

🎧 Watch this moment — then catch the full episode: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/leadership-luck-and-gpcr-signaling

#GPCR #DrGPCR

Why does it matter where signaling happens inside a cell?

This moment cuts straight to the heart of how many of us fell in love with GPCR biology — that realization that signaling isn’t random. It’s structured, organized, and spatially constrained. Michelle describes how reading those early papers on lipid-rich domains and GPCR–G protein compartmentalization reframed her view of receptor pharmacology.

This shift — from thinking about “pathways” to understanding localized signaling architecture — is what drove her to build a research career around spatial control of GPCR signaling.

This isn’t just academic. The way signals are organized defines specificity, drug response, and potential for targeted therapies. If you work with GPCRs, this perspective changes how you design experiments and interpret data.

🎧 Watch this insight — or listen to the full conversation with Michelle.🔗 Full episode: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/leadership-luck-and-gpcr-signaling 

✨ Join Premium: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/gpcr-university-pricing 

#GPCR #DrGPCR

Back when GPCR assays were performed with single channel pipettes, failure wasn’t cheap.

Michelle Halls still remembers pipetting one sample at a time, holding her breath to keep the assay alive.

Today, automation and high-throughput platforms make it easy to forget how fragile discovery used to be. But that history matters. It shaped how we design experiments, make decisions, and lead teams.

In this week’s Dr. GPCR Podcast blog, we unpack:

• How the manual era shaped experimental discipline

• Why technology changed what we ask, not just how we ask

• How scientists grow from technicians to strategic leaders

  
  

🎧 Read the full story and listen to the episode: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/post/from-pipettes-to-platforms-the-evolution-of-gpcr-research🔓 Join Dr. GPCR Premium for deeper tools and insights: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/gpcr-university-pricing  

#GPCR #DrGPCR #DrugDiscovery #Pharmacology #Biotech

When boredom met obsession.

It started as a summer project.A reluctant student pipetting through the day, expecting nothing more than routine lab work.

But for Michelle Halls, that first experiment flipped everything.

One spark led to a PhD at Monash University, a fellowship at University of Cambridge, and eventually a leadership role at the forefront of GPCR spatial signaling — a field reshaping how we understand receptor biology and drug discovery.

Michelle’s story isn’t just about science.It’s about what happens when curiosity takes over.

• From reluctant intern to scientific leader

• From local signaling to spatial pharmacology

• From spark to strategy
  

Read the full story here🔗 https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/post/how-gpcr-spatial-signaling-sparked-a-scientific-journey

🔓 Want deeper GPCR insights? Join Dr. GPCR Premium for exclusive content, expert access, and community.

#GPCR #DrGPCR #SpatialSignaling #Pharmacology #DrugDiscovery #ScientificLeadership #Biotech

Every receptor tells a story — but GPCRs speak a language of organization.

Dr. Michelle Halls unpacks how GPCR signaling isn’t just about ligand–receptor interaction. It’s about where and how signaling happens — spatially confined microdomains, scaffolding proteins, and preassembled complexes that fine-tune the cell’s response.

This level of organization defines specificity in signaling, and understanding it changes how we think about drug targeting and disease mechanisms.

It’s a moment that reframes GPCR biology from static pathways to dynamic, organized systems — where complexity is the key to precision.

🎧 Watch this moment from our conversation, then listen to the full episode on leadership, luck, and GPCR signaling:

👉 https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/leadership-luck-and-gpcr-signaling

#GPCR #DrGPCR

Think femtomolar. That’s the scale we’re talking about.

This week on the Dr. GPCR Podcast, we sit down with Michelle Halls, leader of the Spatial Organisation of Signalling lab at Monash University. Her team is redefining how we understand GPCR signaling — not just at the cell surface, but in space, time, and disease context.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How GPCR pre-assembly enables femto-level signal detection.

• Why receptor location matters as much as receptor type.

• How disease can hijack signaling organization — and what that means for drug discovery.
  

Michelle’s work bridges elegant mechanistic biology with translational impact — giving us new ways to think about receptor pharmacology, biased agonism, and therapeutic precision.

🔗 Listen here → https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/leadership-luck-and-gpcr-signaling

🎓 Explore Dr. GPCR Premium → https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/gpcr-university

#GPCR #DrGPCR #pharmacology #drugdiscovery #receptors #biotech #signaltransduction

AI is changing how we think about structure, function, and discovery — but Jens Carlsson reminds us: the real test isn’t whether we can explain today’s data, it’s whether we can predict tomorrow’s results.

In this clip, Jens unpacks a mindset shift that every computational scientist should hear. For decades, molecular modeling focused on explaining — rationalizing why a ligand binds, why a mutation shifts signaling, why a simulation behaves a certain way. But explaining is retrospective. Prediction is transformative.

With tools like AlphaFold, his lab can now model receptor–peptide complexes in seconds — an achievement that once took months. Yet Jens’s caution stands: prediction must be proven. A good model doesn’t just match published structures; it forecasts new biology, new ligands, and new function.

That’s where the future of GPCR research lies — not in describing the past, but in anticipating it.

Whether you’re running simulations, screening compounds, or designing next-gen molecules, this insight reframes what “success” in computational pharmacology really means.

👉 Watch the full episode: model predict discover 

#GPCR #DrGPCR

If your model can’t change an experiment, what’s the point?

That’s the standard Dr. Jens Carlsson sets in his lab at Uppsala University. For him, modeling isn’t just about elegant simulations; it’s about impact. The kind of impact that shows up in how experiments are designed, which compounds get prioritized, and what gets synthesized next.

Carlsson’s lab doesn’t work in isolation. They collaborate deeply with medicinal chemists, pharmacologists, and biotech partners to create workflows that connect virtual screening to synthesis and bioassay. Every step has a purpose. Every prediction feeds into a testable hypothesis.

But the real differentiator? The way they collaborate: strategically, transparently, and without ego. His team is clear about the capabilities and limitations of their models, an honesty that builds long-term trust across disciplines.

In GPCR drug discovery, where complexity is the rule and timelines are tight, this kind of cross-functional fluency is no longer optional. It’s the catalyst for turning insight into innovation.

🎧 Learn how Carlsson turns models into translational outcomes in this episode of the Dr. GPCR Podcast: model predict discover 

#DrGPCR #GPCR #CollaborationInScience #ComputationalChemistry #Pharmacology #DrugDesign

“Technologies come and go. If that’s all you know, you’ll be out of the game fast.”

In our AMA, Terry Kenakin shared timeless career advice for young pharmacologists navigating a fast-changing field:

“Try to keep a finger on the pulse of as much as you can… that was one of the main reasons for doing Terry’s Corner. New ideas come up, and if we can encapsulate them and expose them, you can just hit a button, hear about it, and pursue it.”

To stay relevant in the next decade, it’s not about chasing the latest assay or tool. It’s about building adaptive thinking—knowing where the field is moving and being ready to pivot with it.

That’s what Terry’s Corner was built for: a space to turn decades of industry experience into short, targeted insights that keep you ahead of the curve.

🟢 Join Terry’s Corner → https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/terry-corner

✳️ Next AMA Session: ⚠️ Today, Oct 30 | 12–1 PM EST

#GPCR #DrGPCR #Pharmacology #DrugDiscovery #CareerDevelopment #Biotech #Mentorship #EarlyDiscovery #ScientificLeadership

What happens when 40+ years of discovery experience get distilled into one conversation?

That’s exactly what our first-ever AMA session with Terry Kenakin set out to do.

Terry’s Corner was built to make advanced pharmacology practical: a space where scientists don’t just learn passively—they shape the curriculum and bring their toughest questions forward.

As Terry shared during the AMA:

“This is a labor of love. Pharmacologists are almost always working in systems they don’t fully understand. The more we can see, the better choices we make.”

Through live Q&A, targeted modules, and short, focused lessons, Terry’s Corner gives discovery teams the frameworks to:

• Decode complex GPCR signaling.

• Rethink outdated models.

• Translate early data into better decisions.

This is more than another course. It’s an open vault of knowledge.

🟢 Read More → https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/post/accelerating-gpcr-drug-discovery-what-40-years-of-pharmacology-reveal

✳️ Next AMA Session: October 30 | 12–1 PM EST

#GPCR #DrGPCR #Pharmacology #DrugDiscovery #AllostericModulation #Kinetics #AssayDevelopment #EarlyDiscovery #PharmaR&D #BiotechInnovation

Pharmacology doesn’t stand still—and neither should your toolkit.

In the discovery phase, one overlooked kinetic parameter or a misjudged model can set your team back months. Precision in early decisions determines whether your molecule moves forward or stalls.

That’s why we’ve built a dedicated space inside Terry’s Corner to get clear, evidence-based answers to the questions that shape your experiments and strategy.

In this AMA session, you’ll learn how to:

• Decode GPCR signaling complexity using functional assay strategies

• Identify allosteric modulators before they derail downstream decisions

• Integrate kinetics early—before your program locks into costly pathways

• Rethink legacy screening frameworks through modern pharmacology

This isn’t theory. It’s 45+ years of applied discovery experience from Terry Kenakin distilled into practical, modular lessons designed for scientists who need clarity fast.

🟢 Join Terry’s Corner → Terry's Corner | Dr. GPCR Ecosystem 

✳️ BONUS — Live AMA Session:Get direct, unfiltered access to Terry. Bring your most challenging questions to our next Ask Me Anything session on October 30, 12–1 PM EST.

⚠️ Seats are limited. Don’t fall behind on what will shape the next decade of discovery.

#GPCR #DrGPCR #Pharmacology #DrugDiscovery #Biotech #AllostericModulation #Kinetics #AssayDevelopment #EarlyDiscovery #PharmaR&D #BiotechInnovation

Receptor pharmacology has evolved.

Irreversible interactions are no longer niche curiosities — they’re strategic levers that shape how molecules behave in vivo and whether candidates advance or stall in discovery.

Inside Terry’s Corner, you’ll gain access to focused, high-impact modules built for teams who need to engineer binding kinetics, not just potency. These lessons bridge molecular pharmacology with real-world design strategy, giving discovery teams the tools to make smarter decisions earlier in the pipeline.

Here’s what’s covered in this week’s lesson:

• Target depletion vs. replenishment dynamics — how offset rates control exposure windows, shape therapeutic durability, and influence dosing intervals.

• Structured tissue penetration challenges — why high-affinity molecules stall at the periphery and how to optimize kinetic profiles for deeper reach.

• Quantifying irreversible activity (K_inact / K_I) — turning persistent binding into measurable design parameters that guide candidate optimization.

Join to learn the same principles guiding successful drug programs today.

🟢 Browse the full video vault and stay ahead of the curve:

✳️ Courses by Terry | Dr. GPCR Ecosystem 

#GPCR #DrGPCR #Pharmacology #DrugDiscovery #Kinetics #ReceptorPharmacology #MedicinalChemistry #PKPD #DrugDevelopment

“Explain” is no longer enough. Can your model actually predict the outcome of a GPCR experiment?

At Uppsala University, Dr. Jens Carlsson and his team are redefining what computational modeling means in drug discovery. Their lab doesn’t just simulate receptor-ligand interactions after the fact; they aim to forecast receptor behavior before the first assay is run.

By integrating molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and machine learning, they design ligands with the goal to anticipate biological outcomes. This kind of predictive modeling challenges the traditional role of computation in pharmacology, where models have too often served as post hoc rationalizations.

But Carlsson’s lab stands out for another reason: knowing when not to predict. His team is candid about the limits of their models. If the resolution isn't good enough, or if the data is too uncertain, they’re not afraid to say, “We don’t know.”

That scientific humility (combined with deep collaborations with medicinal chemists and pharmacologists) is exactly what makes their predictions so useful.

This episode is essential listening for anyone thinking seriously about translational pharmacology and the future of GPCR drug discovery.

🎧 Explore how predictive modeling is reshaping GPCR science in this Dr. GPCR Podcast episode: model predict discover  

#DrGPCR #GPCR #MolecularModeling #PredictivePharmacology #DrugDiscovery

Why do some inhibitors act long after the drug itself is gone?

It’s not always about covalent chemistry — often, it’s about kinetics.

Irreversible interactions emerge when one simple imbalance tips the scale: inflow outpacing outflow. That’s why a compound like phenoxybenzamine can knock down receptor populations after just a brief exposure. And why slow-dissociating allosteric inhibitors can reshape signaling curves for hours — or even days — after dosing stops.

When persistent binding meets structured tissues, this effect can amplify or collapse. High-affinity molecules can get trapped at the periphery of a tumor, never reaching the core. The result: inconsistent exposure, patchy activity, and sometimes, outright therapeutic failure.

This isn’t a subtle nuance. Binding kinetics are a design variable, as critical as potency or clearance. Get it wrong, and the best molecule on paper stalls in development. Get it right, and you unlock durable efficacy with leaner dosing strategies.

If your discovery strategy still treats kinetics as an afterthought, you’re already behind.

✳️ Read More: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/post/beyond-clearance-the-strategic-power-of-irreversible-drug-binding

#GPCR #DrGPCR #Pharmacology #DrugDiscovery #BindingKinetics #ReceptorPharmacology #MedicinalChemistry #PKPD #DrugDesign

This week’s Weekly News breaks down how to control target engagement—so duration, penetration, and PK/PD separation serve your program, not sink it. Premium sneak peek inside.

🔹 Terry’s Corner: A practical framework for irreversible drugs—defining “irreversible” in real systems, anticipating PK/PD decoupling, and using k_inact/K_I when Ki falls short.

🔹 Podcast Spotlight: Dr. Jens Carlsson on predictive modeling—where structure-based design and MD guide experiments (and where AlphaFold still needs a chaperone).

If you’re advancing covalent or tight-binding candidates—or building models meant to predict, not narrate—this edition is built to shorten cycles and reduce surprises.

Read the full Weekly News ➤ https://bit.ly/3KVlL4m

If it helps your team, share it forward.

#DrGPCR #GPCR

What if a failed experiment became the best thing that ever happened to your career?

Dr. Jens Carlsson started his journey aiming to be a biotech engineer. But during a summer internship in protein purification, he faced a harsh reality: lab work wasn’t his strength. The experiments didn’t work, the data didn’t flow, and it was frustrating.

But in the quiet hours, he found himself drawn to the structures, to the models, to figuring out why things weren’t working. A professor noticed and called it out in a recommendation letter. That unexpected moment of clarity redirected his path.

Today, Jens is a Professor of Computational Biochemistry at Uppsala University, where his lab uses structure-based modeling to predict GPCR-ligand interactions, before they’re ever tested in the lab. The mindset shift? Stop explaining experiments after they happen. Start designing them to happen.

His journey is a powerful reminder that the right career often reveals itself through “failure.”

Follow what lights you up. Notice where your mind naturally goes. And don’t ignore the signs, it might be your real path calling.

🎧 Listen to Jens’ full story on the Dr. GPCR Podcast: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/model-predict-discover

#DrGPCR #GPCR #CareerInScience #ComputationalBiology #DrugDiscovery #PhDLife

Irreversible drugs change the rules of engagement.

Unlike reversible ligands, their impact can persist long after the compound is gone — creating durable pharmacological effects that reshape how pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics intersect. In modern discovery programs, that’s a decisive advantage (or a hidden liability) in candidate selection.

In this week’s lesson, you’ll unpack:

• Why low offset rates can mimic covalent effects without forming actual bonds.

• How target depletion and replenishment kinetics define the therapeutic window.

• How persistent binding alters structured tissue penetration — and why that matters for tumor targeting and beyond.

These tactical frameworks are used to optimize molecules, sharpen PK/PD strategy, and mitigate downstream safety surprises before they appear in IND-enabling studies.

Understanding irreversible interactions can mean the difference between a stalled program and a strategic breakthrough. Those who master kinetic pharmacology set the pace.

🟢 Join Terry’s Corner and sharpen your pharmacology toolkit.

✳️ Terry's Corner | Dr. GPCR Ecosystem 

#GPCR #DrGPCR #Pharmacology #DrugDiscovery #MedicinalChemistry #PKPD #ReceptorKinetics #DrugDevelopment

Enzymes decide which molecules get a real shot at efficacy. This week’s Weekly News is your practical guide to building enzyme inhibition into discovery—not as a checkbox, but as a strategy. We unpack inhibition modes (competitive, noncompetitive, mixed, uncompetitive), the messy truth of CYP450 allostery and DDIs, and why allosteric control can protect potency in substrate-rich environments.

Plus: a mindset masterclass from Dr. Eric Trinquet—how structured play turns into assays and why serendipity belongs in your build process. And a tertiary read on ciliary micro-domains linking OPN3/MCR signaling to appetite and skin biology.

Read the full Weekly News ➤ https://lnkd.in/eWkAphen 

If this helped, pass it along to a colleague who needs the signal.

#DrGPCR #GPCR

Stayed when others pivoted. Now leading the field. While others left GPCRs behind, Sokhom S. Pin stayed the course. From DuPont to Cerevel, he focused on GPCR biology and became one of the few deep experts still standing when the field surged back. Patience. Passion. Positioning.

🎧 Hear about the journey: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/ep-169-with-dr-sokhom-pin

#GPCRdrugdiscovery #GPCR #GPCRtrainingprogram #DrGPCR