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<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Alexander S. Hauser About Dr. Alexander S. Hauser Alexander is currently a postdoc as a member of the personalized medicine cluster in Copenhagen and at the Institute of Biological Psychiatry in Roskilde working with the UK Biobank and other large-scale population cohorts. Alexander has a big interest in the integration of large biomedical data in genomics, structural biology, pharmacology, and pharmacoepidemiology with innovative computational methods to gain novel insights into receptor biology. During his Ph.D. with David Gloriam at the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology in Copenhagen, he worked on novel analytical methods to identify human signaling systems and thereby discovered endogenous peptides activating several orphan receptors. Alexander had a research sabbatical with Madan Babu at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, where he was working on the impact of genetic variations on drug response. He received the “HC Ørsted Research talent prize” and “Bayer Pharmaceuticals Ph.D. Award” for his work on GPCRs. Dr. Alexander S. Hauser on the web Twitter ResearchGate University of Copenhagen LinkedIn Google Scholar Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Masha Niv About this episode Dr. Niv is currently an associate professor and vice dean for research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Niv lab is also part of the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research. Masha earned her Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, followed by a direct Ph.D. at the Institute of Chemistry, at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. Dr. Niv trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Weill Cornell Medical College. Her work focuses on both sweet and bitter taste receptor GPCRs and her lab established the BitterDB . Dr. Masha Niv on the web Niv Lab LinkedIn Twitter Pubmed Google Scholar Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Brian Arey About this episode Brian Arey is Senior Director of Mechanistic Pharmacology within Leads Discovery and Optimization at Bristol-Myers Squibb Co . in Lawrenceville, NJ. He obtained both his MS and Ph.D. in Neuroendocrine Physiology at Florida State University before completing his postdoctoral training at Northwestern University. He then moved to work in the pharmaceutical industry where he has held positions of increasing responsibility. He currently leads a team that provides a mechanistic understanding of small molecule drug candidates across the entire portfolio of BMS. Brian has contributed to the discovery or development of 5 marketed drugs through his work spanning molecular, biochemical, cellular, and in vivo assessment of drug candidates in many different physiological systems. Dr. Arey’s laboratory discovered the first described synthetic agonists and antagonists of the FSHR and has been an early champion of signaling bias as a physiological mechanism of gonadotropin action. He continues to pioneer in drug discovery studying GPCRs and other target classes. His recently published book on signaling bias, Biased Signaling in Physiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics is available on Amazon . I sat down with Brian to chat about GPCRs, working in the industry, and being a leader. This is part 1 of our conversation. Dr. Brian Arey on the web LinkedIn ResearchGate Pubmed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Graciela Pineyro About this episode: Dr. Graciela Pineyro is a professor of pharmacology at the department of pharmacology and physiology of the University of Montreal. She has done extensive work on the molecular pharmacology of opioid receptors and is currently focusing on the pharmacology of cannabinoids in the context of pain. We chatted about how the current pandemic has affected her personally and professionally. Dr. Graciela Pineyro on the web Dr. Graciela Pineyro on LinkedIn Dr. Graciela Pineyro - University of Montreal Dr. Graciela Pineyro - CHU Ste-Justine Research Centre Pineyro Lab Publications on Google Scholar Pineyro Lab on Pubmed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Terry Hébert About this episode Dr. Terry Hébert wanted to be a microbiologist. Instead, he ended up getting interested in membrane protein as he followed the biology of a bacterial toxin that affects a mammalian ion channel. Today he and his team are working on understanding receptor signaling in specialized cellular environments to gain a better grasp of receptor function in pathophysiological settings with a special interest in the cardiovascular system. His favorite GPCR is the angiotensin 1 receptor, especially for its ability to activate a large variety of signaling pathways. Terry is also very active on social media. With over 2000 followers on Facebook and Twitter, he shares the latest available information on GPCR research daily. Dr. Terry Hébert on the web Institute of Health Sciences Education Hébert Lab LinkedIn Facebook GPCR Consortium PubMed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

Alessandro Nicoli shares how he models olfactory GPCRs with AlphaFold, mentors students, and builds science from scratch in a new lab. A fresh look at computational GPCR research. << Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Smells Like GPCR Spirit: Cracking Olfactory Codes with Alessandro Nicoli 1. The Accidental Path to Science Alessandro Nicoli didn’t grow up knowing he’d be a scientist. Like many, his path to GPCR research wasn’t linear—it evolved through academic exploration and mentorship. “I think I don’t have a linear trajectory… the beauty of seeing molecule design and reactions—thinking you can create molecules—was really exciting.” – Alessandro Nicoli He studied pharmaceutical chemistry in Padua, where his fascination with molecular design first took shape. But it wasn’t until meeting an inspiring professor, Prof. Moro, that he truly saw how molecules could go beyond the bench and interact with biology in powerful ways. 2. The Moment Chemistry Met Biology Nicoli’s turning point came when he realized that molecules weren’t static—they could act , bind , and modulate biological targets. “It was not just a molecule—it was a partner that goes to interact with something else… a protein, DNA, RNA. That opened up a new world.” – Alessandro Nicoli That early spark led him to discover the role of medicinal chemistry and, eventually, molecular modeling. For Nicoli, chemistry became more than reactions—it became a bridge to biological insight. 3. Falling for Computational Chemistry The "second academic love" arrived during his master’s thesis, where Nicoli dove into computational chemistry. “I got to know computational chemistry through a project on BCL2 proteins and drug discovery… I was in love with the topic.” – Alessandro Nicoli Working on docking and NMR studies for cancer-related proteins, he discovered the power of simulation in revealing molecular interactions. That experience convinced him to pursue a PhD and deepen his computational skills—eventually leading him to GPCRs. 4. Finding the Right Mentor and Lab A birthday email changed everything. Professor Moro forwarded a PhD opening from Prof. Antonella Di Pizio’s lab in Munich. It felt serendipitous—and it was. “We had a super match… and after a month, I was already in Germany. I was her first PhD student.” – Alessandro Nicoli Starting from scratch in a young lab wasn’t easy, but it created a unique bond between PI and student. Nicoli thrived in this setting—helping shape the lab and its direction, particularly in computational studies of olfactory GPCRs . 5. GPCRs, Receptors of Infinite Variety When asked about his favorite GPCR, Nicoli refused to pick. “Let’s embrace the challenge to study all of them… they’re unique in how they bind ligands, how selective they are.” – Alessandro Nicoli He emphasized that olfactory receptors , while underexplored, present an incredible challenge. With hundreds of subtypes and very few known ligands, the structure–function relationships remain largely mysterious—and incredibly exciting for a computational chemist. 6. AlphaFold: A Turning Point in GPCR Research When Nicoli began his PhD, AlphaFold hadn’t yet revolutionized the field. But once released, it changed everything. “AlphaFold gave us a face to those proteins… now we have 400 models to start with.” – Alessandro Nicoli He explained how AlphaFold’s predictions, surprisingly close to experimental structures, provided a powerful starting point for docking, dynamics, and ligand design—especially for receptors previously “invisible” to structural biology. 7. Modeling the Invisible: Olfactory Receptors Nicoli’s work centers on predicting ligand binding and receptor behavior for olfactory GPCRs. “The main challenge was: how do we get a face for these proteins when we don’t have ligands?” – Alessandro Nicoli He shared a detailed case study of working on a specific odorant receptor (R5VK1), where they leveraged known active/inactive ligands to validate models through iterative refinement , molecular docking , and mutagenesis-guided optimization . The goal? Build predictive models to discover new ligands . 8. Why Molecular Dynamics Matters For Nicoli, molecular dynamics is more than simulation—it’s how we watch biology move . “You simulate over time… see how receptors move in physiological conditions, with water, membranes, ligands.” – Alessandro Nicoli He emphasized that MD allows researchers to observe allosteric changes , mutation effects , and even ligand entry/exit paths , offering dynamic insights that static structures cannot. It’s a critical complement to experimental work. 9. From Researcher to Mentor: Growing Together Outside his research, Nicoli mentors students, manages interns, and even lectures. Balancing this with a PhD isn't easy, but it’s deeply rewarding. “You have people that rely on you… but you grow together, and that’s the most powerful thing.” – Alessandro Nicoli He reflected on learning to delegate—how hard it was initially to hand over tasks—but how vital it is for team science. He now sees mentoring as a way to shape the next generation while evolving himself as a scientist. 10. Advice, Tools, and the Future of GPCR Research Nicoli offered advice to wet-lab scientists curious about computational work: Start with passion. Learn Python. Explore online resources like “Talktorials.” “We’re living in a golden era for computational chemistry… the tools are out there. You just need the motivation to explore.” – Alessandro Nicoli As for what’s next? More structures, better tools, and deeper insights into the elegant, complex world of GPCRs. He sees a future where wet and dry labs converge , and where computational methods are fully integrated into GPCR drug discovery pipelines. Summary made with AI __________ Key Takeaway Alessandro Nicoli’s journey is a compelling example of how computational chemistry can unlock new frontiers in GPCR research , especially in complex areas like olfactory receptors. By bridging structural prediction, molecular dynamics, and ligand discovery, his work not only deciphers biological mysteries but also inspires a new generation of scientists to think computationally. Keyword Cloud GPCR research community , Dr. GPCR ecosystem , GPCR online course , GPCR scientist network , GPCR drug discovery , GPCR training program , G protein-coupled receptors , GPCR podcast , GPCR webinar series , GPCR data platform Summary created by AI ________ About Alessandro Nicoli Alessandro Nicoli is currently a PhD student in the Molecular Modeling group led by Prof. Dr. Antonella Di Pizio at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Germany). He obtained an MSc degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology from the University of Padua (Italy). His training and passion for computational chemistry started in 2019 during his time at the Molecular Modeling Section (MMS) under the supervision of Prof. Stefano Moro, where he worked on integrated Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and computational modeling strategies to target the antiapoptotic BCL-2 protein family, key regulators of cell survival, using small molecules. He then moved to Germany in 2019 to pursue his PhD. His research focuses on a group of 400 transmembrane proteins known as olfactory receptors, which mediate the sense of smell. Beyond the olfactory epithelium, these receptors are expressed in various tissues, where they play important but not yet fully understood roles in various physiological and pathological processes. Despite their relevance, they remain understudied due to the limited knowledge of their ligands and the lack of experimental structures. Alessandro PhD work aims to fill these gaps by leveraging computational structure-based tools and develop specific protocols to accelerate OR ligand discovery and improve our understanding of olfactory function at the molecular level. Alessandro Nicoli on the web Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich Technical University of Munich Google Scholar Pubmed ORCID ResearchGate X Bluesky Github Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Anything BUT GPCRs with Dr. Mikel Garcia-Marcos About Dr. Mikel Garcia-Marcos "I was trained as a biochemist and molecular biologist during my Ph.D (2005) in Spain and Belgium, and subsequently as a cell biologist during my postdoc (2006-2011) with Dr. Marilyn Farquhar (UC, San Diego), a pioneer of modern Cell Biology. All my formal training was in the area of signal transduction, and I continued to work on this area since I established my own laboratory in the Department of Biochemistry at Boston University in 2012. My research aims to understand the mechanisms and consequences cell communication via heterotrimeric G-proteins (Gαβγ) because they represent major intracellular hubs of signaling with very direct biomedical relevance. To achieve this goal, we use a wide range of established approaches (biochemistry, cell biology, genetics) and experimental systems (purified proteins, cultured cells, model organisms) in combination with the development of novel tools (biosensors, chemogenetics, optogenetics). Our ongoing efforts have direct implications in cancer, embryonic development defects, and neurological disorders." AI Summary In the podcast episode "Anything but GPCRs" featuring Dr. Mikel Garcia-Marcos, the host Yamina explores Dr. Garcia-Marcos's academic journey, which spans training in Spain, Belgium, and a postdoctoral fellowship at UC San Diego, where he navigated a career focused on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) while aiming to maintain broad scientific interests. Dr. Garcia-Marcos shares insights on transitioning from postdoctoral research to leading his own lab, addressing the challenges of applying for academic positions and the importance of networking, adaptability, and mentorship in fostering a collaborative research environment. The conversation further delves into the dynamics of managing a diverse team, emphasizing the role of personality assessments in enhancing team cohesion and performance. Dr. Garcia-Markos reflects on milestones in his research journey, reinforcing the passion that drives scientists in the GPCR field, and engages listeners to connect with the podcast for a richer community experience. Dr. Mikel Garcia-Marcos on the web Boston University LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Alix A. J. Rouault About Dr. Alix A. J. Rouault "My contribution to science began during the equivalent of U.S. masters training at the Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO; France). Under the leadership of Dr. Karine Pichavant , I contributed to the development of a drug to treat hypovolemic shock after severe hemorrhage. During this time, Dr. Olivier Mignen , the director of another research unit at the UBO recommended me to Dr. Julien Sebag , a researcher at the University of Iowa. I spent two years working with Dr. Sebag as an exchanged scholar while my student visa was in the work, during which time I thoroughly reviewed the literature on the melanocortin receptor accessory protein 2 (MRAP2), resulting in my first peer-reviewed publication in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA). I then undertook my first project where I demonstrated that MRAP2 regulates the signaling of multiple G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) through different structural regions. This project yielded my first, first author publication in BBA – Molecular Cell Research, and a book chapter for Neuromethods on a technique I adapted to measure the mitochondrial pyruvate oxidation in primary neurons. In 2017 I officially joined the PhD program in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, under the mentorship of Dr. Sebag. During my PhD, I continued my studies on MRAP2. I contributed to an In-vivo project that showed that MRAP2 regulates the growth hormone secretagogue receptor-1a (GHSR1a), the results of which are published in Nature Communications. Concurrently, I described the mechanisms by which MRAP2 regulates GHSR1a signaling; this project brought forth our NanoBiT-based arrestin recruitment assay. At the time, NanoBiT was a prototype technology we gained access to by collaborating with Promega. This powerful tool allowed us to create an assay that kinetically measured the arrestin recruitment to an activated GPCR for the first time. Using this novel technique, I showed that MRAP2 biased GHSR1a signaling and shut down its constitutive activity; this work resulted in a first author publication in Science Signaling. While writing my thesis, I published another paper in the Journal of Biological Chemistry which described the molecular mechanisms of MRAP2 regulation of the GHSR1a, and where I notably developed the C-terminal gate theory. This theory states that the post-translational modification of GHSR1a’ C-terminal tail is not a docking space for the arrestins, but rather a necessary modification leading to a structural change granting the arrestins access to the core of the receptor. Some of my data were also used in an In-vivo study published in iScience, showing the relevance of the MRAP2 regulatory effect on GHSR1a in pancreatic islets. Dr. Cone’s lab was a clear choice for a postdoc. Dr. Cone was the first to clone the melanocortin receptors (the GPCRs that led to the discovery of MRAP2), and his lab works is highly In-vivo oriented. Since I joined the lab, I became proficient in many In-vivo techniques, I adapted my arrestin recruitment assay to a high throughput screening format for drug discovery, I have started molecular work on the melanocortin receptors. I also invested a tremendous amount of time in developing my leadership skills. I spent time running for the chair of International Affairs for the U-M Postdoctoral Association (UMPDA). Further, I applied to create a scientific session at the American Physiology Summit (APS) 2024 dedicated to GPCR biased signaling. Dr. Lauren Slosky and Dr. Joshua Gross were enthusiastic about the idea and jumped on board. Our session was picked up by the APS. We were pleasantly surprised by the interest generated by our scientific session, Dr. Michel Bouvier accepted to open our session and will be followed by Dr. John McCorvy , Dr. Dylan Eiger , and Joshua Gross. We are very excited about this event. At this point in my career, I am creating connections with biomedical industry, assessing professional opportunities, and seriously weighing strengths of career options across sectors; however, academia does not make information about industry widely accessible to trainees. This is, in part, why I ran for, and was elected Chair of International Affairs of the University of Michigan Postdoc Association. I want to connect more trainees with diverse career resources to support professional decision-making. I am hopeful that my efforts to support the professional opportunities of my peers, in combination with my own scientific endeavors, will inform my future career decisions." Dr. Alix A. J. Rouault on the web University of Michigan Carver College of Medicine ResearchGate Google Scholar Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Evi Kostenis About Dr. Evi Kostenis "Pharmacist by training - PhD in Pharmacology - Postdoc at the NIH with Dr. Juergen Wess - Postdoc and Group leader in Aventis, now Sanofi, Frankfurt, Germany - Head of in vitro Pharmacology at 7TM Pharma in Denmark; Full professor, department chair and director of the institute for pharmaceutical Biology at the University of Bonn. Research interests: Signaling mechanisms involving GPCRs and heterotrimeric G proteins" Dr. Evi Kostenis on the web University of Bonn ResearchGate LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) You never know where your GPCR takes you with Dr. Brian Hudson About Brian Hudson Brian is a lecturer in the School of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Glasgow. He has more than 20 years of experience in GPCR, primarily focused on drug discovery and developing new tools to study this receptor family. He leads a research group that is focused on understanding the pharmacology and function of a group a GPCRs that are activated by metabolic intermediates. Brian Hudson on the web University of Glasgow Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Lukas Grätz About Dr. Lukas Grätz "After a BSc in biology and a MSc in bioinformatics, I have been working in David Gloriam's group as a bioinformatician. My initial focus was on creating an automated chimeric homology modeling pipeline for GPCRs and since have branched out to multiple areas of GPCR research such as sequence alignments, generic numbering systems, structure data, G protein and arrestin coupling and more. As a developer, and more recently the lead developer of GPCRdb my day-to-day work centers around the maintenance and resource/tool development of GPCRdb and its sister databases. I am also affiliated with György Keserű's group at the RCNS in Hungary. I lived in Denmark, Poland, now I live in Hungary. I am married, I have two daughters. In my free time I like to play the guitar, sing and play board games. " Dr. Lukas Grätz on the web Karolinska Institutet ResearchGate PubMed Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Chris Langmead Chris Langmead is Professor, Deputy Director, and Better Medicines Theme Leader of the Neuromedicines Discovery Centre at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS), a collaborative venture targeting new medicines development for poorly-treated mental health disorders. He also directs a collaborative neuroscience R&D program with Servier (France) and is the co-founder and CEO of Phrenix Therapeutics, a biotech spin-out from the Neuromedicines Discovery Centre that is developing next-generation therapeutics for schizophrenia. Prior to these roles this he was Head of Pharmacology at Heptares Therapeutics Ltd., a UK-based biotechnology company (2009-2012), where he was responsible all of the company’s discovery biology. He is an acknowledged expert in drug discovery, particularly in the field of psychiatry, where he has led multiple projects into late stage preclinical development, many of which have progressed into clinical trials. These successes enabled the US$400M sale of Heptares Therapeutics Ltd. to the Sosei Group Corporation in 2015. Prior to joining Heptares, Chris was a neuroscience researcher at GlaxoSmithKline, UK (1998-2009). He has a degree and PhD in pharmacology from Queens' College, Cambridge and University College London, respectively, was the youngest person to be elected as a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society in 2012, and was the recipient of the British Pharmacological Society Novartis Prize in 2017. Chris serves on the editorial boards of the British Journal of Pharmacology, ACS Chemical Neuroscience, ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science and Frontiers in Pharmacology. He is also a corresponding member of NC-IUPHAR. He has published over 70 research articles, reviews and book chapters on drug discovery, which have been cited over 5000 times. Christopher Langmead on the web Monash University T witter Google Scholar Linkedin PubMed Monash Neuromedicines Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Patrick Sexton About Dr. Patrick Sexton Patrick Sexton is a Professor of Pharmacology, National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Senior Principal Research Fellow, and Director of the Australian Research Council Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins ( www.ccemmp.org ). He is a leader in the study of GPCRs, biased agonism, and also on allosteric interactions between GPCRs and other proteins and small molecule ligands. More recently, his team has been at the forefront of the application of cryo-EM to elucidate of the structure and dynamics of GPCRs. Prof. Sexton has published over 320 peer-reviewed journal articles and has been cited >26,000 times (Google Scholar). He is a 2021 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher in two disciplines: Pharmacology & Toxicology and Biology & Biochemistry, a corresponding member of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Committee on Receptor Nomenclature and Drug Classification, and a member of the Faculty of 1000 (Molecular Pharmacology division) and an elected Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society (BPS). Prof. Sexton’s awards include the Australasian Society for Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT) Lecturer award, Endocrine Society of Australia Senior Plenary award, Rand Medal (ASCEPT), Paxinos-Watson Award (Australian Neuroscience Society), Vane Medal (BPS), Gordon Hammes Lectureship Award (American Chemical Society) and the GSK Research Excellence award. Prof. Sexton is also a co-founder of the San Francisco-based biotechnology company Septerna Inc . Dr. Patrick Sexton on the web CCeMMP Monash University Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Benjamin Myers About Dr. Benjamin Myers Ben Myers is an assistant professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, UT, and an investigator with the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Ben’s research focuses on Smoothened and other class F GPCRs which play essential roles in embryonic development and in cancer. His group studies the unusual signaling mechanisms employed by these atypical 7-transmembrane receptors, combining biochemical and structural approaches with cell biology and in vivo models. These studies have revealed new and unexpected ways for membrane lipids to regulate GPCR activity and for GPCRs to control intracellular kinases. More recently, Ben’s lab has begun studying GPCR signaling pathways that operate within the primary cilium, a tiny antenna-shaped structure at the cell surface with critical links to development, physiology, and disease. Ben studied developmental and cancer signaling as a postdoctoral fellow with Philip Beachy at Stanford University. Prior to that, Ben received his Ph.D. from UCSF in 2008, where he worked with David Julius on the structure, function, and physiology of ion channels and GPCRs in the nervous system. Dr. Benjamin Myers on the web Website Twitter Pubmed University of Utah Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. David E. Gloriam About this episode David Gloriam is a Professor in Computational Receptor Biology at the University of Copenhagen where he leads a research cluster for GPCR function and drug discovery and a Pharmaceutical Data Science unit. His group runs the GPCRdb database where ~4,000 researchers each month retrieve reference data and access online tools for analysis, visualization, and experiment design. David obtained his Ph.D. from Uppsala University in Sweden where he worked on the bioinformatic identification of 24 novel human G protein-coupled receptors. He later identified physiological hormones of such under characterized ‘orphan’ receptors and functional probes for a range of receptors. He completed two postdocs in the UK at the EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute and GlaxoSmithKline . In 2018 he joined the University of Copenhagen, where he has received an ERC Starting Grant, Lundbeck Foundation Fellowship, and Novo Nordisk Foundation Ascending Investigator awards. Dr. Gloriam is a corresponding member of the Nomenclature Committee of the International Union of Pharmacology (IUPHAR). He is one of the coordinators of recommendations to describe ligand bias towards signaling probes and safer drugs. His group recently developed an online resource of biased ligands and pathway effects to advance the biased signaling field. Join me a learn more about David’s work, his career trajectory, and GPCRdb. Dr. David E. Gloriam on the web LinkedIn ResearchGate Twitter Google Scholar Computation Receptor Biology- Gloriam Group GPCRdb Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. G. Aditya Kumar About Dr. G. Aditya Kumar Dr. Aditya Kumar is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan Medical School. Aditya is interested in understanding the role of the membrane microenvironment in the subcellular organization, trafficking, and signaling of GPCRs. He received his Ph.D. from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology at Hyderabad, India, where he studied the interaction of membrane cholesterol with the serotonin-1A receptor and its effects on receptor signaling and endocytosis. In addition, he explored the role of the host membrane in the entry of intracellular pathogens into macrophages. He currently uses high-resolution fluorescence microscopy and biochemistry to study GPCR trafficking mechanisms. In his (future) independent research career, Aditya aims to work at the interface of GPCR molecular pharmacology, subcellular trafficking, and membrane biology to better understand how the dynamic receptor microenvironment contributes to GPCR organization and function. Dr. G. Aditya Kumar on the web University of Michigan Puthenveedu Lab Google Scholar NIH ORCID LinkedIn Twitter Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

Dr. Alex Serafini shares why pain research must start with real-world behavior and models before drilling into GPCR targets — a top-down rethink for drug discovery. << Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) GPCRs and the Science Behind Pain and Recovery with Dr. Alex Serafini 1. Strategy: From Personal Pain to Scientific Purpose Dr. Alex Serafini’s entry into science wasn’t typical. Born in California, raised in Silicon Valley, and initially eyeing finance, his trajectory took a sharp turn after struggling with unresolved, chronic pain following repeated surgeries for a pilonidal cyst. "I wasn't able to get stronger pain meds because of the opioid epidemic," he recalls. That gap in care sparked a curiosity that became a career. Driven by personal experience and a desire to innovate in pain management, Alex pursued a master's in pain research at Hopkins and later an MD-PhD at Mount Sinai. His early exposure to TRPV1 channels and peripheral pain mechanisms with Dr. Mike Caterina laid the foundation. But the deeper mission? Finding answers for patients society often overlooks. Pain became more than biology — it became a personal strategy. “I started going through what I was going through… and that got me very interested in research.” — Alex Serafini 2. Decision-Making: Saying Yes to the Unorthodox Path Serafini’s journey defied traditional checklists. He joined Mount Sinai through FlexMed — bypassing the MCAT — and was torn between a career in pharma and academia. At one point, he had a job offer at Roivant (a biotech firm known for repurposing shelved compounds), but a late-stage offer into an MD-PhD program — and parental “encouragement” — rerouted his path. His approach to decision-making is pragmatic: follow impact, not orthodoxy. The decision to stay on as a postdoc in the same lab as his PhD — with Dr. Venetia Zachariou — wasn't the typical next step, but it allowed him to wrap up high-impact work and learn about PI-level grant writing, strategy, and lab management. In his words: “She let me run projects like a junior PI.” “I didn’t need to chase new techniques — I needed to finish the science that mattered.” — Alex Serafini 3. Blind Spots: The Underestimated Role of RGS Proteins in Pain Although not a self-proclaimed GPCR specialist, Serafini found himself repeatedly drawn to them, or more precisely, to RGS (Regulators of G protein Signaling) proteins. The lab’s work with RGS4 led to unexpected results: knockout mice spontaneously recovered from chronic pain after three weeks, an effect rarely observed. He points out that GPCRs—especially orphan and CNS-associated ones—are often downplayed in pain research, with most focus on ionotropic targets like NAV1.8. But Serafini believes that’s a blind spot. “We’re using outdated drugs. There are more elegant GPCR targets waiting to be explored.” The lab’s unconventional in vivo-first strategies, combined with RNA-seq and behavioral analysis, revealed nuanced roles of RGS4, RGS9, and RGSZ — not just as modulators but as potential therapeutic linchpins. “Half the time, in pain, what works in vivo doesn’t translate to clinic. We need new thinking.” — Alex Serafini 4. Failure & Frustration: From Pipettes to Pandemic Disruption The road hasn’t been smooth. From struggling to grip mice in early animal studies to thesis delays during COVID-19, Serafini's journey is marked by grit. But it’s in these friction points that new insights emerged. The pandemic disruption, for instance, led him to BSL-3 labs to study persistent pain after SARS-CoV-2 infection, revealing novel immune-neuron signaling in DRGs. He also opens up about the emotional and logistical toll of MD-PhD training. It’s an eight-year-plus haul with built-in uncertainty. However, with mentors who believed in him, especially those who shared administrative, grant-writing, and leadership skills early on, he found direction and resilience. “She [Vanna] gave me a crash course in what it’s like to be a junior PI. That changed everything.” — Alex Serafini 5. Pivoting: Redefining the Pain Research Playbook Looking ahead, Serafini’s vision is bold: build a lab that develops translational models of pain rooted in patient realities. He’s fascinated by transgenerational epigenetics — how parental pain, diet, or drug exposure can leave molecular fingerprints in offspring. He's equally focused on sex differences in pain processing and the failure of "one-size-fits-all" models in pharmacology. His advice? Learn broadly. Stay close to patients. Collaborate relentlessly. And above all, don’t be afraid to start from the phenotype and work backwards to the mechanism. That top-down approach, though less common, could help pain research finally catch up with the complexity of real-world biology. “Start from the end — from the clinic — and then build backwards.” — Alex Serafini _________ Key Takeaway Innovation in pain research won’t come from doing the same things better — it’ll come from flipping the script. Whether it’s challenging legacy targets, redefining preclinical models, or exploring the epigenetic inheritance of pain, Dr. Serafini urges the field to stay bold, patient-centered, and GPCR-aware. Keyword Cloud GPCR research community, Dr. GPCR ecosystem, GPCR drug discovery, GPCR podcast, GPCR data platform, GPCR training program, RGS4, chronic pain, epigenetics, translational models. Summary created by AI ________ About Alex Serafini Alex was born and raised in the Bay Area and received his BS/MS Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins. His master's degree was in Dr. Michael Caterina's lab studying the role of PNS chloride transporters in neuropathic pain. Upon matriculating to Mount Sinai's MD/PhD program, he joined Dr. Venetia Zachariou's lab to study the effects of chronic pain and addiction/withdrawal on the mesocorticolimbic system, focusing on transcription factor and RGS protein maladaptations, behavioral RGS protein drug "screening", and the role of SARS-CoV-2 on CNS function and sensory hypersensitivity. He aspires to become a physician-scientist, with a focus on translational in vitro and in vivo model development for studying chronic pain and affective comorbidities. Other academic interests of his include studying pharmaceutical finance & healthcare administration and developing technologies that increase healthcare access. His non-academic interests include traveling, scouting out micro-breweries, and collecting beer cans. Alex Serafini on the web LinkedIn Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Daniel Wacker About Dr. Daniel Wacker I obtained my B.Sc. degree from the University of Munich performing work in the lab of Dr. Roland Beckmann with a brief stay at Cambridge University, UK, working in the lab of the late Dr. Kiyoshi Nagai . I then obtained an M.Sc. at the University in Munich working e.g. in the lab of Patrick Cramer . I next moved to Rockefeller University in NYC to work in the lab of the late Dr. Guenter Blobel , before starting my Ph.D. in 2009 at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla. There I obtained my Ph.D. in the lab of Dr. Ray Stevens in 2013 solving several GPCR crystal structures, including that of the first serotonin receptor. I then moved to UNC at Chapel Hill to do postdoctoral work in the lab of Dr. Bryan Roth where I established GPCR structural biology and learned the ins and outs of molecular pharmacology and in vitro drug discovery. In 2018 I started my own lab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in NYC, where I have been working on structure-function and drug discovery of GPCRs and transporters. Dr. Daniel Wacker on the web Website LinkedIn Twitter PubMed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Robert F. Bruns About Dr. Robert F. Bruns Fred Bruns discovered the first positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of a GPCR in the late 1980s while working at Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis. The work was published in 1990. After 7 years at WL/PD and 26 years at Eli Lilly & Co., he retired at the end of 2014 and since then has been writing papers on his final major project at Lilly, a dopamine D1 PAM series that has advanced through Phase 2 clinical trials. Fred obtained an A.B. in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, followed by a Ph.D. in Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego. His doctoral dissertation was the first large-scale study of structure-activity relationships for adenosine receptors. During a joint postdoc with John W Daly at NIH and Solomon Snyder at Johns Hopkins, he developed the first adenosine receptor binding assay. He then joined WL/PD, where his lab demonstrated the existence of two subtypes of the adenosine A2 receptor, A2a and A2b. In 1988, he joined Lilly as a receptor biologist in charge of a high-throughput screening lab. He taught himself chemoinformatics as a way to optimize compound selection for screening, and in 1997 switched to computational chemistry full-time. He supported the D1 PAM project in various roles from its inception in 2002 until selection of a clinical candidate in 2013. Dr. Bruns has over 80 publications and 11,000 citations, with an h-index of 47. Dr. Robert F. Bruns on the web ResearchGate LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Brendan Wilkins About Brendan Wilkins "Brendan completed his undergraduate training at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Australia in 2016 with first class Honours in Pharmacology. In his Honours year, Brendan explored small molecule allosteric modulators of the β2-adrenoceptor under the tutelage of Dr Angela Finch. Since then, Brendan worked as a research assistant at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute where he investigated the orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), GPR37L1. Brendan is now a final year PhD candidate in the Orphan Receptor Laboratory headed by Associate Professor Nicola J Smith at UNSW Sydney, Australia. Brendan’s PhD project focuses on the orphan GPCR GPR146. This project aims to characterise the molecular pharmacology of GPR146 and to validate the proposed ligands of GPR146 in line with IUPHAR-NC guidelines on deorphanisation of orphan GPCRs. Brendan is currently looking for post-doctoral positions to begin in mid-2024" Brendan Wilkins on the web UNSW Sydney Google Scholar ResearchGate LinkedIn Twitter Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Caron Tribute Part 1 About Marc Caron Dr. Caron and his family moved to Durham, NC in 1977, following receipt of his BSc in Chemistry from Laval University and his Ph.D. from the University of Miami. He joined the faculty of Laval University School of Medicine in 1975 and then returned to join Duke’s faculty, where he remained as a James B. Duke Professor until his death. He and his laboratory members studied the mechanisms of action and regulation of hormones and neurotransmitters and how they might underlie brain and behavior disorders such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, mood disorders, and addiction. Among his many honors, Dr. Caron was an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute from 1992 to 2004, a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a recipient of the Julius Axelrod Award. An authoritative and prolific scientist, with over 650 scientific publications, he is most beloved as a mentor and his relentless encouragement that shaped the careers of hundreds of scientists worldwide. About our panelists in alphabetical order and the year they first met Dr. Caron Dr. Jeffrey Benovic (1985) Dr. Michel Bouvier (1985) Dr. Kathleen Caron - Co-host- (1970) Dr. Richard Cerione (1985) Dr. Brian Kolbilka (1987) Dr. Frederik Leeb-Lundberg (1984) Dr. Robert Lefkowitz (1973) Dr. Lee Limbird (1973) Dr. David Sibley (1988) Memories our panelists shared with us Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Josephine (Pina) Cardarelli About Dr. Josephine (Pina) Cardarelli Dr. Pina Cardarelli, CSO for GPCR Therapeutics Inc., based in South Korea, has recently been named President of GPCR Therapeutics, USA, a newly incorporated Biotechnology company in the Bay Area. The company’s mission is to discover and develop highly effective cancer therapeutics by targeting heteromers of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Burixafor, their most advanced clinical candidate, will be in Phase II clinical trial next year. Additionally, they have a library of target GPCR heteromers for Oncology. Dr. Cardarelli heads the team of talented researchers that will be expanding at the US site. Dr. Cardarelli is a drug development leader with extensive experience driving drug discovery teams in bringing biologics to clinical proof of concepts. She has expertise in cell biology, pharmacology, translational medicine, oncology, immuno-oncology, immunology, and clinical development. Previously, she held the position of Vice President of Cell Biology & Pharmacology, at Bristol-Myers Squibb . She was an integral contributor to two therapeutics that are FDA approved, Yervoy and Opdivo. She was a participant in numerous due diligence (anti-CXCL8 mAb) and has managed external collaborations and alliances. Prior to this, she held the position of Vice President, at Medarex, Inc . While at BMS and Medarex, she led programs from target ID to clinical development that included, CXCL10 (Eldelumab), CXCR4 (Ulocuplumab), CD30, CD19, Fucosyl GM-1, & mesothelin-ADC, Glypican-3-ADC, CD70-ADC. She oversaw early discovery programs IL-23 p19 and IL23 p19/IL-17 bispecifics. At Medarex, she initiated and identified the lead mAb for the type I interferon-alpha receptor project, licensed to AstraZeneca (Saphnelo™ Anifrolumab) that has just received FDA approval for systemic lupus erythematosus. She has extensive experience working with Biologics, and Antibody Drug Conjugates as well as experience in IND fillings, IB updates, and responding to FDA inquiries. She is an inventor on 39 issued U.S. patents including anti-PD-1 patents, 22 EP patents, and greater than 100 global patents centered around therapeutic development. She has also authored forty-six peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Cardarelli received her Ph.D. in Physiology from Albany Medical College. Dr. Josephine (Pina) Cardarelli on the web LinkedIn Company Website Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Stuart Maudsley About Dr. Stuart Maudsley Stuart graduated from the University of Leeds in the U.K. with a First Class Honors degree in Pharmacology. At the end of his studies, he was awarded the Pfizer Prize for undergraduate research. He then completed his Ph.D. at Leeds as well as the University’s Ackroyd, Brotherton, and Brown Scholar. Following his Ph.D., Dr. Maudsley was awarded a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellowship to train with Professor Robert Lefkowitz at Duke University. Following this tremendous experience, he was recruited to be the Principal Investigator of the Receptor Biology Section at the Medical Research Council (MRC) -Human Reproductive Sciences Unit within the University of Edinburgh. At the MRC he developed novel prostate cancer therapeutics based upon his research into GPCR pluridimensional signaling. To broaden his biomedical skill-set Stuart next accepted the position of Head of the Receptor Pharmacology Unit at the National Institutes of Health – National Institute on Aging at the Johns Hopkins University Medical Center. At the NIH he was the recipient of the coveted NIH ‘Bench-to-Bedside’ Translational Research Grant Award, one of the few awards available within the intramural NIH program. Upon starting a new family, and returning to Europe, Dr. Maudsley continued his scientific journey with the award of the highly-valued Odysseus Program Type I Program Grant to work as both the Adjunct Director of the VIB Center for Molecular Neurology and also Vice-Chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Antwerp. Stuart’s current research, in the Receptor Biology Lab, focuses on the development of novel GPCR-based therapeutics that interdict diseases based on their gerontological underpinnings. This research stream is now forming the basis of a new technology-based start-up company, HeptOME , to help screen and develop novel longevity/disease-regulating compounds with multidimensional disease efficacy profiles. Dr. Stuart Maudsley on the web Maudsley Lab LinkedIn Google Scholar ResearchGate Maudsley Lab on Facebook Receptor Biology Lab Facebook Group Twitter Semantic Scholar Instagram Neurotree Dimensions Reddit Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Kenneth A. Jacobson About Dr. Kenneth A. Jacobson Kenneth A. Jacobson received his BA in Liberal Arts from Reed College in 1976 and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego in 1981. He completed postdoctoral training at the Weizmann Institute. In 1983, he joined the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, MD. He is currently the Senior Investigator and Chief of the Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry. He adapts interdisciplinary approaches (synthesis, modeling, pharmacology) to study G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and purinergic signaling and now has four compounds in clinical trials. He has published more than 800 scientific publications, with an H-index of 115. His numerous awards include: 2008 Sato Award; 2009 Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame (American Chemical Soc.); 2014 Goodman and Gilman Award; 2017 Tu Youyou Award; 2017 Smissman Award; 2023 Hershberg Award. Dr. Kenneth A. Jacobson on the web NIDDK Web of Science Google Scholar LinkedIn Twitter Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Katarina Nemec About Dr. Katarina Nemec " I am a pharmacist with an interest in systems pharmacology and precision medicine. Since my undergraduate studies, I have been engaged in researching molecular mechanisms that govern human (patho-)physiology and their interplay with drugs. I aim to discover new therapeutic approaches, and druggable molecules or refine canonical drug targets to create drugs with fewer adverse effects. I studied Pharmacy at the University in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and at the University of Bonn, Germany, working initially on the role of prostaglandin receptor EP4 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. During my PhD studies in Martin Lohse lab at the Max Delbrueck Center in Berlin, I consolidated my knowledge of GPCRs pharmacology while performing various cell-based experiments to understand the binding, activation, and signaling of therapeutically relevant GPCRs. In addition, I generated various optical biosensors based on fluorescence or bioluminescence resonance energy transfer technologies (FRET, BRET) that were used for functional screens with state-of-the-art microscopy and high throughput screening to explain novel ways of GPCR modulation. I am continuing with the development of advanced screening approaches in the Madan Babu lab to progress in the understanding of spatiotemporal regulation of biased GPCR activation and signaling. I want to combine experimental approaches with data-driven discovery and adopt data science methodology to tackle relevant scientific questions on the systems pharmacology level. " Dr. Katarina Nemec on the web Babu Lab ResearchGate Google Scholar ORCID LinkedIn Twitter Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Annabelle Milner About Annabelle Milner Annabelle completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Bath. As part of the degree, she undertook a 1-year research-based placement at the Charles Perkins Centre in Sydney, investigating the effects of dietary carbohydrates on metabolic health with Dr. Jibran Wali. From here, she returned to the UK. She began her Ph.D. at Imperial College London with Prof Aylin Hanyaloglu, Prof Gary Frost, and Dr. Alastair Brown (Sosei Heptares), where she is currently a final year Ph.D. student. Annabelle’s Ph.D. work focuses on microbial-derived metabolites that signal through GPCRs expressed in the GI. In particular, she is looking at L- and D-lactate-activated HCAR1 signaling. She presented her Ph.D. work at the Society of Endocrinology Conference 2022 and was awarded the best oral poster prize. Outside the lab, she enjoys baking and swimming and has recently taken up paddle boarding. Annabelle Milner on the web Linkedin Researchgate Pubmed Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Samuel Hoare About Dr. Samuel Hoare Sam completed his Ph.D. in biochemistry, studying allosteric modulation of dopamine receptors, from the University of Kent, United Kingdom. He then moved to the National Institute of Mental Health, researching pharmacological mechanisms of Class B GPCRs as part of his postdoctoral training. Today, Sam is a pharmacology data analyst and the founder of Pharmechanics LLC , a consultancy and data analysis company supporting pharmaceutical, life science, and academic scientists in the development of new therapeutics and the understanding of receptor systems. As an industry pharmacologist, he consults with numerous pharma and biotechs in understanding and applying in vitro pharmacology data to advance drug discovery. He specializes in kinetic analysis of drug action and is known for applying binding kinetics to the development of effective therapeutics, particularly GPCR antagonists. Before founding Pharmechanics in 2016, Dr. Hoare was a pharmacology leader in the pharmaceutical industry for 15 years at Neurocrine Biosciences . He guided the in vitro biology efforts of the company for numerous drug discovery campaigns. Sam is known for demystifying complicated and newly-emerging pharmacology concepts, enabling them to be applied by project teams in optimizing new molecules. I very much enjoyed chatting with Sam about his love for GPCRs, kinetics, and decorticate the complexities of GPCR function to better target receptors. Dr. Samuel Hoare on the web Pharmechanics LLC LinkedIn Pubmed Google Scholar YouTube Dr. GPCR Member ResearchGate Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Caron Tribute Part 2 About Marc Caron Dr. Caron and his family moved to Durham, NC in 1977, following receipt of his BSc in Chemistry from Laval University and his Ph.D. from the University of Miami. He joined the faculty of Laval University School of Medicine in 1975 and then returned to join Duke’s faculty, where he remained as a James B. Duke Professor until his death. He and his laboratory members studied the mechanisms of action and regulation of hormones and neurotransmitters and how they might underlie brain and behavior disorders such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, mood disorders, and addiction. Among his many honors, Dr. Caron was an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute from 1992 to 2004, a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a recipient of the Julius Axelrod Award. An authoritative and prolific scientist, with over 650 scientific publications, he is most beloved as a mentor and his relentless encouragement that shaped the careers of hundreds of scientists worldwide. About our panelists in alphabetical order and the year they first met Dr. Caron Dr. Larry Barak (1994) Dr. Kathleen Caron - Co-host- (1970) Dr. Steve Ferguson (1995) Dr. Neel Freedman (1994) Dr. Jacob Jacobson (2003) Dr. Stephane Laporte (1999) Dr. Stuart Maudsley (1997) Dr. Richard Premont (1993) Dr. Jie Zhang (1990) Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Steven Foord About Dr. Steven Foord Steve Foord trained as a Physiologist and Pharmacologist and worked for Glaxo through to GSK from 1986 to 2008. He introduced molecular pharmacology to a wide range of the company's GPCR projects and was able to initiate some projects. These included the identification of RAMPs (solving some CGRP family issues) and the GABA B, carboxylic, and nicotinic acid receptors. He also discovered and championed a novel prostaglandin EP4 drug candidate for development. He finished his career as Head of Bioinformatics for Neuroscience and working on the GSKs novel genetics initiative. Dr. Steven Foord on the web LinkedIn Google Scholar Pubmed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Prasenjit Saha About Dr. Prasenjit Saha I conducted my doctoral research at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, to investigate the mechanisms behind rare mitochondrial diseases, which can lead to heart failure, muscle fatigue, and neurodegenerative disorders. I am now working at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, USA, studying the gut microbiome and its impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD). Specifically, I am interested in understanding dysregulated G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling linked to atherosclerosis and diabetes. My research goal is to identify novel cellular target receptors of human gut microbe-derived metabolites that are pathologically linked to CVD. Discovering these receptors would be a significant breakthrough in cardiovascular biology as they could be targeted for therapeutic purposes. During my post-doctoral research, I was part of a study that identified the receptors of a novel human gut microbe-derived metabolite called phenylacetylglutamine (PAG), which is linked to cardiovascular disease. This study demonstrated that PAG is a potential diagnostic marker for CVD as it causes serious fatal conditions such as thrombus formation, which can block blood vessels. In this study, I discovered adrenergic receptors (α2A, α2B, and β2-adrenergic receptors) that serve as the gut microbial metabolite (PAG) receptor and characterized the receptor-metabolite interaction. More recently, I have shifted my focus to identifying allosteric modulators of host G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that contribute to cardio-metabolic disorders. Traditional drug discovery efforts have focused on agonists and antagonists that bind to the orthosteric site of the receptor. However, the pursuit of allosteric modulators has gained attention as they have the potential to fine-tune cellular responses with greater selectivity among the subtypes of GPCRs. My long-term plan is to conduct research in the field of receptor biology, with a focus on GPCRs. They are the largest, most versatile, and most ubiquitous class of plasma membrane receptors and serve as targets for more than one-third of all prescribed drugs currently used in the treatment of human diseases all over the world. Dr. Prasenjit Saha on the web Google Scholar Pubmed LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>