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<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Antony A. Boucard Jr About Dr. Antony A. Boucard Jr. Dr. Antony Boucard joined the Université de Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada) as a B.S. student of the Biochemistry program in 1994 from which he graduated in 1997. It is then that his interest bloomed for the study of GPCRs while joining the group of Dr. Richard Leduc and Dr. Gaetan Guillemette in the Pharmacology department at the Université de Sherbrooke. He completed a master’s degree in 2000 and a Ph.D. degree in 2003 with a particular interest in the cardiovascular system by investigating the structure of the Angiotensin and Urotensin receptors through various biochemical approaches centered in the elucidation of ligand binding pocket determinants. Motivated by a new ambition to study the nervous system, Dr. Boucard pursued postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas where he joined the group of Dr. Thomas Südhof . In this institution dear to the heart of GPCR enthusiasts given that its faculty personnel included Dr. Alfred Gilman , Nobel Laureate for his discovery of G proteins, Dr. Boucard ventured into the field of synaptic adhesion molecules which would eventually prompt him to investigate the role of a peculiar family of GPCRs belonging to the Adhesion subgroup. After a relocation to Stanford University where he pioneered work on ligand discovery for then orphan adhesion GPCRs, Dr. Boucard moved to Mexico City to establish himself as an independent investigator integrating the department of Cell Biology at the Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav-IPN). Dr. Boucard´s lab focuses on molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the function of adhesion GPCRs in the formation of synapses. Having a particular interest for a three-member family named latrophilins, his lab seeks to decipher the molecular code instructing adhesion events mediated by these GPCRs. The pharmacology of latrophilins brings about a great deal of challenges given that they are highly polymorphic proteins expressed as various alternatively spliced isoforms thus potentially resulting in differential modulation of cell signaling pathways. His lab highlighted the importance of splicing events in biasing latrophilins’ regulation of cyclic AMP pathways and for determining the magnitude of ligand selectivity. Additionally, his team is also interested in understanding the pathophysiological relevance of latrophilins’ function in neuropsychiatric disorders given their association with genetic susceptibility to the neurodevelopmental disorder known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but also to a comorbid clinical manifestation linked to addiction. He also actively volunteers as an Associate Professor of the non-governmental organization Institut des Sciences, des Technologies et des Etudes Avancées d’Haïti (ISTEAH) to help consolidate higher education in Haiti. Dr. Antony A. Boucard Jr. on the web Website LinkedIn Researchgate Loop Academia Pubmed Adhesion GPCR Consortium University of Haiti Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Richard Premont About Dr. Richard Premont "Dr. Premont obtained his B.S. in Biology and Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology in 1985, and M.Ph . and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences (Pharmacology) at Mount Sinai School of Medicine (City University of New York) in 1990 and 1992, working with Ravi Iyengar on regulation/desensitization of the liver glucagon receptor and glucagon-stimulated adenylyl cyclase system. In 1992, he won a Helen Hay Whitney Foundation fellowship to support his post-doctoral work with Robert Lefkowitz and Marc Caron at Duke University. His initial project to identify and clone taste receptors was unsuccessful, but led to the identification of GRK5 and continued focus on GRKs (particularly GRKs 4,5,6) and arrestins as GPCR regulators and as mediators of distinct signaling pathways through partners including GIT1. In 1999, obtained an independent faculty position at Duke in Gastroenterology, where he remained until 2018 studying GPCRs and their signaling pathways in the liver and in liver disease. In 2018, he moved to Harrington Discovery Institute and Case Western Reserve University, where he studies GPCR regulation by S-nitrosylation. My research focus is on understanding how distinct cellular signaling pathways interact and are coordinated to produce integrated physiological responses, and how dysregulation of this coordination results in pathophysiology. For this, we have worked in three main areas: the regulation of G protein-coupled receptor signaling particularly by the G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) – beta-arrestin system, the coordination of heterotrimeric G protein, small GTP-binding protein and protein kinase pathways by GIT/PIX scaffolding complexes during cellular signaling, and characterizing the role of protein S-nitrosylation as a signaling post-translational modification in mediating and regulating cellular signaling pathways, particularly in conjunction with better characterized signaling systems. In our work, we utilize methods including structural biology and proteomics, molecular biology and biochemical enzymology, primary and model cell culture, and transgenic, knockout, knock-in and conditional models of mouse physiology and behavior." Dr. Richard Premont on the web Google Scholar LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Nicolas Gilles About Dr. Nicolas Gilles "Dr. Nicolas Gilles is an expert in the study of animal toxins. He is pioneering the investigation of animal toxins acting on GPCRs, the largest therapeutic target class. His strongest expertise lies in therapeutic target identification and all the steps from venom manipulations, to in vivo validation. When the pharmacological properties of these new ligands are deemed exceptional, a lead optimization is realized and its therapeutic development initiates through a dedicated start-up." Dr. Nicolas Gilles on the web Google Scholar LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

Catherine Demery shares how she found clarity and purpose in academic opioid research. From her early doubts to designing preclinical models of fentanyl and xylazine overdose, she reflects on staying in academia, building translational experiments, and using real-world data to drive impactful science in the GPCR research community. << Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Xylazine, Fentanyl, and the Fight for Breath with Catherine Demery Two drugs. Two different mechanisms. One deadly outcome. Fentanyl and xylazine are pushing the opioid crisis into dangerous new territory, and Catherine Demery is on the front lines of the science trying to stop it. In this gripping conversation, Catherine, a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan, shares how personal loss and an unconventional career path—industry chemist, NIH researcher, and now GPCR pharmacologist—led her to investigate how these drugs shut down breathing in different ways. Her research combines cutting-edge GPCR signaling studies with real-time public health data from Michigan’s Red Project, revealing how fentanyl slows inhalation, xylazine prolongs exhalation, and together they drop heart rate to dangerous lows. And while users aren’t asking for xylazine, dealers are lacing it into the supply—driving overdose deaths higher. Why This Matters Fentanyl : Potent synthetic opioid that decreases inhalation rate. Xylazine : Veterinary sedative that prolongs exhalation and induces bradycardia—acting through alpha-2 adrenergic, not opioid, receptors. The Combo : Not just additive—lethal. Street Data : Xylazine-laced fentanyl in Michigan has jumped 30–60% in recent years. What You’ll Learn in This Episode How industry lab experience builds the discipline needed for academic research. Why xylazine is an emerging overdose threat and how it differs mechanistically from opioids. The methods used to measure respiratory depression in live models. How loss and lived experience can sharpen scientific focus. The role of public health programs in informing lab research. How GPCR pharmacology connects molecular insights to real-world interventions. Who Should Listen This episode is especially relevant for: GPCR drug discovery scientists Respiratory pharmacologists Addiction researchers Public health professionals Early-career scientists navigating non-linear paths About Catherine Demery Catherine Demery didn’t set out to be on the front lines of the opioid crisis. After earning her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Michigan, she deferred pharmacy school, unsure if that path felt right. Instead, she went hands-on—working as an analytical chemist in a GLP/GMP-regulated CRO, where precision and discipline became second nature. That led her to a master’s in pharmacogenomics at Manchester University, igniting her fascination with how genetics and drugs interact. Her next stop: the NIH, studying the immunology of pregnancy. But loss has a way of sharpening focus—friends lost to overdose brought the opioid epidemic into painful clarity. Catherine decided to act where she could make the biggest difference: in the lab. Today, as a PhD candidate in the labs of Dr. John Traynor and Dr. Jessica Anand at the University of Michigan, Catherine investigates how fentanyl and xylazine shut down breathing through different mechanisms—work that blends receptor pharmacology, preclinical models, and public health data to tackle one of the most urgent challenges in addiction science. Catherine Demery on the web LinkedIn Google Scholar University of Michigan 🎧 Listen now and see how one scientist is turning molecules into a mission, bridging the gap between receptor pharmacology and the urgent fight to save lives in the opioid epidemic. Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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 Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Aurélien Rizk About Dr. Aurélien Rizk "Dr. Aurélien Rizk is a scientist and entrepreneur in drug discovery. He is Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of InterAx Biotech, where he specializes in the development of a technology platform deciphering cell signaling pathways combined with AI-based approaches to elucidate structure to signaling relationship. During four years of postdoctoral research at ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, under the guidance of Prof. Gebhard Schertler, he developed methods for kinetic mathematical analysis of GPCR signaling. He also worked on creating novel methods for systems biology using temporal logic specifications while pursuing his Ph.D. at INRIA Paris-Rocquencourt, France. Before focusing on the development of innovative mathematical modeling and simulation methods for drug discovery, Dr. Aurélien Rizk co-founded Algorizk, a company that created real-time physics simulations for education, serving over 1 million users. His academic background includes studies in mathematics, physics, and computer science at the French Grande École, École Normale Supérieure de Cachan." Dr. Aurélien Rizk on the web InterAx Biotech Paul Scherrer Institut The Org LinkedIn Google Scholar Dr. GPCR AI Summary AI-generated content may be inaccurate or misleading. Always check for accuracy. Quick recap Yamina Berchiche and Aurelien Rizk engaged in a conversation about their professional backgrounds and current projects. They explored the potential of merging mathematical models with biology, the complexities of GPCRs within cells, and the applicability of technology to other fields. They also discussed the founding of a company focused on GPCRs, the transition from academia to the biotech sector, the evolution of a company that started with the development of technologies combining mathematical methods and a wet lab, and the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork in drug and technology development. They emphasized the significance of mathematical models in systems biology and pharmacology and the challenges of transferring information between different families of GPCRs. They wrapped up the conversation by discussing job opportunities at Interax Biotech and their anticipation for future interactions. Summary Professional Backgrounds and Projects Discussed Yamina Berchiche and Aurelien Rizk had a conversation about their professional backgrounds and current projects. Aurelien Rizk, a co-founder and CEO of Interax Biotech, shared about the company's development of a discovery platform for GPCRs and their focus on signaling pathways. He also talked about his past experiences in mathematics, physics, and computer sciences, and his involvement in developing mathematical models for various systems. The discussion concluded without any clear decisions, action items, or open questions. Integrating Mathematical Models and Biology: A Fascinating Discussion Yamina and Aurelien Rizk had a conversation about the importance of merging mathematical models and biology. They highlighted that while there was a time when biology lagged due to the lack of appropriate tools, it is now progressing faster. They found it fascinating to integrate both fields and the potential it holds. Aurelien Rizk mentioned the importance of being able to test and adjust predictions in real-life scenarios. They also touched upon the transferability of this approach across different systems, which Yamina found attractive. GPCRs, Software, and Fluid Dynamics Yamina Berchiche and Aurelien Rizk discussed the complexities of GPCRs within cells and the potential for applying models from one system to another. Yamina also questioned Aurelien Rizk about his interest in software, computer science, and mathematics. Aurelien Rizk shared his journey of using these disciplines in biology and how his company, Interax, came to be. The discussion ended with Aurelien Rizk sharing his current work on numerical simulations of fluid dynamics. GPCRs: A Focus for New Company Aurelien Rizk and Yamina Berchiche discussed the founding of a company focused on GPCRs and the potential applicability of the technology to other fields. Aurelien Rizk shared that he had always focused on GPCRs but had also worked on other types of receptors, indicating that the technology could be applied broadly. Yamina asked if there was ever a consideration to work on targets other than GPCRs, to which Aurelien Rizk explained that they chose GPCRs due to their wide application and potential impact. The conversation concluded with Yamina asking if Aurelien Rizk had a favorite GPCR to work on, though his response was not included in the transcript. Cell Signaling and Cancer Metastasis Discussion Aurelien Rizk and Yamina Berchiche had a detailed conversation about the intricacies of cell signaling and chemokine receptors. Yamina shared her research experience, emphasizing the fascination of understanding how cells respond to gradients and signals, particularly in relation to cancer metastasis. Aurelien Rizk also contributed to the conversation, highlighting the complexity of the process. However, the transcript is somewhat unclear and disjointed, making it difficult to summarize the specific points discussed. Academia to Biotech: Strategic Planning and Interdisciplinary Approach Yamina Berchiche and Aurelien Rizk discussed the differences between academia and the biotech industry, with Aurelien Rizk sharing his experiences transitioning from academia into the biotech sector. They highlighted the strategic importance of planning in the biotech sector due to limited funds and the need to show positive results when securing new investments. Aurelien Rizk also mentioned the interdisciplinary nature of his company, which includes mathematics, signaling pathways, a wet lab for data generation, and AI and computational chemistry. The discussion also touched on recent changes in leadership at Aurelien Rizk's company, with the introduction of a new CEO a year ago and the valuable contributions of Mark Levick, a former reviewer for the European Medicines Agency and CEO of a biotech company. Technology Evolution and Ligand Residence Time Prediction Yamina Berchiche and Aurelien Rizk discussed the evolution of the company, which started with the development of technologies combining mathematical methods and a wet lab to ensure the technology functioned. They validated their technology and made collaborations for expertise on chemokine receptors. The conversation also revolved around the company's ability to predict the residence time of a ligand and its potential correlation with a therapeutic effect or activation of a specific signaling pathway. The discussion concluded with the idea that ligand residence time could be an important factor in effective therapy. Therapeutic Effect and Receptor Interactions Aurelien Rizk and Yamina had a detailed discussion about the importance of gaining more information about the therapeutic effect in patients or animals and the dynamics of receptor interactions. They emphasized the need to quantify the dynamics of the pathways and the residence time of the receptor. Yamina raised a question about the transferability of information between different families of GPCRs and the possibility of generating a mathematical model for potential patterns. They also discussed the challenges of system dependency in data and the need to express data in a uniform way to apply models. Mathematical Models in Systems Biology and Pharmacology Aurelien Rizk and Yamina discussed the importance and relevance of mathematical models in systems biology and pharmacology. They reminisced about previous meetings and events, including a GPCR retreat where Terry presented his work. Yamina mentioned her struggle with the mathematical aspects of Terry's papers but acknowledged their importance in quantifying and removing system biases. They also discussed plans to offer a course with Terry, due to high interest. Towards the end, Aurelien Rizk shared his top three 'aha' moments as a scientist, emphasizing the importance of learning and controlling systems. Interdisciplinary Teamwork and Drug Development Yamina Berchiche and Aurelien Rizk emphasized the significance of interdisciplinary teamwork in drug and technology development, noting the challenges of communication and collaboration across different fields. They also shared their preference for small molecule therapies over protein therapeutics. Aurelien Rizk confirmed his attendance at the upcoming GPCR-Targeted Drug Discovery Summit in Boston. The discussion concluded with a brief overview of job opportunities at Interax Biotech, with Aurelien Rizk and Yamina clarifying that job openings are communicated via email and through their job board. They expressed their anticipation for future interactions. Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Gregory Tall About Dr. Gregory Tall " Dr. Gregory Tall earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from U.T. Southwestern Medical Center with Bruce Horazdovsky, Ph.D. They worked on the interactome of yeast and mammalian Rab5 homologs including identification of Rab5 GEFs. In 2000, Dr. Tall moved upstairs to conduct his postdoctoral work on heterotrimeric G proteins and the novel interactor, Ric-8 with Alfred Gilman, M.D. Ph.D. In 2007, Dr. Tall joined the faculty in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, there establishing his lab and major research directions. Dr. Tall moved to the University of Michigan in 2016 as an Associate Professor of Pharmacology and is a current active member of the department. The current goals of the Tall lab are to understand the basic mechanism by which Ric-8 proteins fold all heterotrimeric G protein alpha subunits, to exploit a Ric-8-based technology to purify recombinant G proteins and to use the G proteins in assays to explore the mechanisms of action of the 33-member adhesion GPCR family or Family B2 GPCRs. We found that adhesion GPCRs are activated by a tethered peptide agonist mechanism that differed from the common example known at the time, protease activated receptors (PARs). PARs have an N-terminal leader sequence that is clipped by exogenous proteases to reveal a new N-terminus that serves as the tethered agonist. Adhesion GPCRs pre-cleave themselves and the two resultant fragments of the receptor remain together to conceal the tethered peptide agonist. Mechanical dissociation of the two fragments aided by protein binding ligands and cell movement serves to decrypt the tethered agonist for binding to its orthosteric site. Our current goals are to explore this mechanism in detail and to understand how it may happen for the 33 adhesion GPCRs in complex physiological contexts…one being our discovery that GPR56 is the platelet receptor that senses collagen and shear force to initiate the platelet activation program. Dr. Tall has been continuously funded by the NIH since receiving an early RO1 award at Rochester. He has continued funding at Michigan through the MIRA R35 program. Dr. Tall has presented his work at 59 invited seminars including national and international meetings and academic departmental seminars. " Dr. Gregory Tall on the web The Tall Lab University of Michigan Google Scholar Twitter Dr. GPCR Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Sudarshan Rajagopal About Dr. Sudarshan Rajagopal Dr. Sudarshan Rajagopal obtained his B.S. in Chemistry from The University of Chicago in 1998. He subsequently enrolled in the Medical Scientist Training Program at The University of Chicago. During his doctoral work in the lab of Prof. Keith Moffat, he studied the structural mechanisms of bacterial photoreceptors using time-resolved Laue crystallography. He was awarded his Ph.D. in 2004 and his MD in 2006. He then joined the Internal Medicine Residency training program at Duke University Medical Center. During his Cardiology fellowship, he trained in the lab of Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz , where his research focused on biased agonism, with the development of approaches to quantify ligand bias and the identification of beta-arrestin-biased receptors. After completing his training in clinical cardiology, he started as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine. The main focus of his lab’s research is on the mechanisms underlying biased agonism at chemokine receptors and how that contributes to inflammation. The chemokine system is relatively unique in having multiple receptors and multiple ligands that display considerable promiscuity for one another. His group and others have shown that many of these ligands act as biased agonists for the same receptor. His lab is also interested in identifying novel signal transduction mechanisms of GPCRs, such as the formation of complexes between G proteins and beta-arrestins. His clinical focus is on pulmonary arterial hypertension, a disease of the pulmonary arterioles that causes right heart failure, and he serves as co-director of the Duke Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center. Dr. Sudarshan Rajagopal on the web LinkedIn Website Google Scholar LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Richard Premont About Dr. Richard Premont "Dr. Premont obtained his B.S. in Biology and Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology in 1985, and M.Ph . and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences (Pharmacology) at Mount Sinai School of Medicine (City University of New York) in 1990 and 1992, working with Ravi Iyengar on regulation/desensitization of the liver glucagon receptor and glucagon-stimulated adenylyl cyclase system. In 1992, he won a Helen Hay Whitney Foundation fellowship to support his post-doctoral work with Robert Lefkowitz and Marc Caron at Duke University. His initial project to identify and clone taste receptors was unsuccessful, but led to the identification of GRK5 and continued focus on GRKs (particularly GRKs 4,5,6) and arrestins as GPCR regulators and as mediators of distinct signaling pathways through partners including GIT1. In 1999, obtained an independent faculty position at Duke in Gastroenterology, where he remained until 2018 studying GPCRs and their signaling pathways in the liver and in liver disease. In 2018, he moved to Harrington Discovery Institute and Case Western Reserve University, where he studies GPCR regulation by S-nitrosylation. My research focus is on understanding how distinct cellular signaling pathways interact and are coordinated to produce integrated physiological responses, and how dysregulation of this coordination results in pathophysiology. For this, we have worked in three main areas: the regulation of G protein-coupled receptor signaling particularly by the G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) – beta-arrestin system, the coordination of heterotrimeric G protein, small GTP-binding protein and protein kinase pathways by GIT/PIX scaffolding complexes during cellular signaling, and characterizing the role of protein S-nitrosylation as a signaling post-translational modification in mediating and regulating cellular signaling pathways, particularly in conjunction with better characterized signaling systems. In our work, we utilize methods including structural biology and proteomics, molecular biology and biochemical enzymology, primary and model cell culture, and transgenic, knockout, knock-in and conditional models of mouse physiology and behavior." Dr. Richard Premont on the web Google Scholar LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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) Nicole Perry-Hauser About Nicole (Nicki) Perry-Hauser I am a postdoctoral research fellow endeavoring to build a productive, independent scientific research career in adhesion G protein-coupled receptor (aGPCR) biology. My long-term research interests involve resolving signaling pathways downstream of aGPCRs and establishing how/if these receptors’ adhesive properties influence signaling events, and in turn, whether signaling impacts synapse formation and neuronal wiring. Mutations in aGPCRs have been linked to various neuropsychiatric phenotypes, and my work will provide a basis for understanding aGPCR biology in the nervous system. Nicole (Nicki) Perry-Hauser on the web LinkedIn Research Gate Pubmed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Marta Filizola About Dr. Marta Filizola Dr. Marta Filizola is the Sharon & Frederick A. Klingenstein-Nathan G. Kase, MD Professor in the Departments of Pharmacological Sciences, Neuroscience, and Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, as well as the Dean of The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York, USA. The overall goal of her research program is to obtain rigorous mechanistic insights into the structure, dynamics, and function of important classes of membrane proteins and prominent drug targets, including G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), transporters, channels, and 3 integrins. To this end, her lab uses several computational structural biology tools and rational drug design approaches, ranging from molecular modeling, bioinformatics, cheminformatics, molecular dynamics simulations, free-energy perturbations, machine learning, etc. A native of Italy, she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemistry from the University Federico II in Naples. She pursued a Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry at the Second University of Naples and a postdoctorate in Computational Biophysics at the Molecular Research Institute in California, USA. Dr. Marta Filizola on the web Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Filizola Lab Wikipedia Twitter Linkedin ResearchGate Google Scholar Orcid PubMed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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) Murat Tunaboylu & Ben Holland About Murat Tunaboylu "Murat Tunaboylu, Antiverse's CEO, has a software engineering and bioinformatics background. Mid-career, he has worked in finance and developed high-frequency trading systems. After switching to biotech, Murat has built cell imaging software and lab robots to accelerate cancer research and automated Thermo Fisher Scientific’s gene synthesis workflows. He has co-founded consultancy and biotech companies Svarlight and Antiverse. His current focus is to realise Antiverse’s mission: engineering the future of drug discovery." Murat Tunaboylu on the web Antiverse DSV Future of Drug Discovery Podcast Twist Bioscience LinkedIn Twitter Dr. GPCR About Ben Holland "Ben gained his masters in Engineering Science from Oxford, taking a specialisation in information engineering. Following this, he joined an early-stage medical device start-up and in 5 years was responsible for project R&D and managing a focused development team, pursued international strategic partnerships, managed IP matters, helped establish a manufacturing line in Malaysia and is named as inventor on several patents. He then returned to information engineering and has been working in machine learning for nearly 10 years, applying it to antibody generation, analysis, and property prediction since 2017" Ben Holland on the web Antiverse The Antibody Society YT LinkedIn Twitter Dr. GPCR Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

A conversation with Prof. David Hodson on visualizing GLP-1 and GIP receptors in pancreatic islets and brain circuits to advance GPCR-targeted therapies for diabetes and obesity. << Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Visualizing GLP-1 & GIP Receptors in Islets and Brain In this episode, Professor David Hodson discusses how GLP-1 and GIP receptors regulate metabolism across the pancreas and brain, and why visualizing receptor localization and signaling in real tissues is essential for advancing GPCR drug discovery . His team develops fluorescence-based and chemically engineered tools to study gpcr internalization and ligand engagement in intact islets and neuronal circuits — insights that inform next-generation functional assay development and translational therapeutic design. The conversation also highlights the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in accelerating innovation in diabetes and obesity research. Why this matters How receptor distribution in islets and brain circuits shapes incretin hormone drug effects Why visualization tools changed our understanding of GPCR signaling in metabolic tissues What collaborative chemistry enabled in designing receptor-targeted fluorescent ligands The moment when structural and imaging evidence clarified unexpected glucagon-derived peptide behavior How future metabolic therapies may evolve based on receptor cross-talk and tissue-specific engagement Who should listen Navigated complex datasets where interpretation depended on biological context Balanced innovation with the need for reproducible, well-controlled functional assays Worked across disciplines where chemistry, pharmacology, and physiology converge Questioned how drug action differs in real tissues vs. recombinant cell lines …this episode will resonate. About David Hodson Prof. David Hodson is the Robert Turner Professor of Diabetic Medicine at the University of Oxford , working within the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism. Originally trained as a Veterinary Surgeon , he completed postdoctoral research at the CNRS in Montpellier before establishing his independent laboratory at Imperial College London as a Diabetes UK RD Lawrence Fellow. He later served as Professor of Cellular Metabolism and Institute Deputy Director at the University of Birmingham. His group develops imaging and chemical biology tools to reveal how GLP-1 and GIP receptors operate within complex tissues, with direct relevance to type 2 diabetes and obesity therapy . David Hodson on the Web Radcliffe Department of Medicine Islet Biology Lab University of Birmingham Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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 Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Nicholas Holliday About Dr. Nicholas Holliday After an undergraduate degree at the University of Cambridge, Nick carried out his Ph.D. at King’s College London, supported by an AJ Clark Ph.D. studentship from the British Pharmacological Society. It was these studies and subsequent postdoctoral work that led to Nick's interest in peptide messengers regulating appetite, metabolism, and the immune system, and the molecular mechanisms underlying the signaling and regulation of their GPCRs. Nick joined the University of Nottingham in 2006, where he is now Associate Professor, establishing a lab focused on G protein-coupled receptor kinetics, signaling, and trafficking and on using novel imaging techniques, such as fluorescent ligands and complementation methods, to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Since 2019, Nick has combined his university role with the leadership of Excellerate Bioscience as Chief Scientific Officer, a contract research organization specializing in molecular and cellular pharmacology. Excellerate is involved in several pre-clinical drug discovery projects for both GPCR and non-GPCR targets, using its expertise in pharmacology to deliver high-quality target validation, lead optimization, and mechanism of action studies for our clients. Dr. Nicholas Holliday on the web LinkedIn ORCID University of Nottingham Twitter Excellerate Bio Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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 Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Sai Prasad Pydi About Dr. Sai Prasad Pydi Dr. Sai Prasad Pydi obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba – Canada, where he was introduced to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) by Prof. Prashen Chelikani . His doctoral research focused on the structural and functional characterization of bitter taste receptors (T2Rs). In 2014, Dr. Pydi joined Dr. Jurgen Wess’s lab at the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) - NIH, USA as a postdoctoral fellow and trained on understanding the physiological role of GPCR signaling and beta-arrestins in diabetes and obesity. In February 2021, Dr. Pydi joined BSBE department at IIT-Kanpur. The main target of Dr. Pydi's laboratory is to develop GPCR-based drugs for the treatment of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) by exploring metabolically important signaling pathways in immune cells and insulin-sensitive tissues (liver, pancreas, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and brain). His laboratory uses knock-out and transgenic mouse models, along with different cell culture systems, to understand the role of immune cell GPCRs and their cross-talk with other insulin-sensitive tissues regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. Dr. Sai Prasad Pydi on the web Molecular Metabolism & Cell Signaling Laboratory Website Twitter.com Research Gate PubMed Google Scholar Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Annette Gilchrist About this episode Originally, Annette wanted to be a medical doctor but as luck has it, she didn’t get into medical school when she first applied. Instead, she discovered research and started her Ph.D. the day she should have started medical school. Dr. Gilchrist completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences / Immunology at the University of Connecticut and went on to become a postdoctoral fellow at UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago). Annette worked in industry, academia and her entrepreneurial side led her to three companies, Cue Biotech , Caden Biosciences , and MyGenomeRx in addition to being a consultant for over a decade. Dr. Gilchrist is also an associate professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Join me and learn more about Annette’s career, our common love for chemokines, and how you can use your training as a scientist in so many different ways. Dr. Annette Gilchrist on the web LinkedIn Midwestern University Google Scholar Pubmed Twitter Research Gate Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

How academia and biotech collaborate to scale GPCR tools—covering fluorescence assays, GPCR internalization, and real-world distribution. Episode 3 of 3. << Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Scaling GLP 1 Receptor Tools Through Academia Industry Collaboration How do GPCR tools move from individual academic labs into broad use across the research community? In this episode of the Dr. GPCR Podcast , leaders from academia and biotech unpack what effective collaboration really looks like when developing, validating, and distributing GPCR research tools. Joining the conversation are Maria Majellaro (CSO and co-founder of Celtarys Research), Johannes Broichhagen, and David Hodson. Together, we discuss how gpcr drug discovery advances when chemists, biologists, and industry partners align around rigor, trust, and accessibility. The episode explores gpcr internalization , fluorescence-based probe design, and how functional assay development benefits from scalable distribution rather than ad-hoc sharing. Listeners will walk away with a clearer view of how academic innovation translates into tools for high-throughput screening , and why availability can be as impactful as discovery itself. Why This Matters How GPCR tools lose impact when distribution and access aren’t planned from the start Why fluorescence-based assays outperform antibodies for studying receptor localization and trafficking What changes when academia and biotech share priorities instead of working in parallel When industry partnerships become essential for reproducibility and scale The moment when availability—not innovation—becomes the bottleneck in GPCR research Who Should Listen This episode is for scientists and leaders who are: Navigating the transition from academic tool development to real-world adoption Balancing innovation with validation in GPCR assay design Building reagents that must work in complex tissues, not just simplified models Exploring academia–industry collaboration but want to understand how it works in practice This conversation is part three of a three episode series produced in collaboration with our partners at Celtarys Research . 🎧 Listen to Part 1 with Dr. Hudson 🎧 Catch up on Part 2 with Dr. Broichhagen About the Guests Maria Majellaro, PhD Dr. Maria Majellaro is the Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Celtarys Research , a biotech spin-off from the University of Santiago de Compostela focused on advanced fluorescent ligands and GPCR research tools. She earned her PhD in medicinal chemistry from the University of Bari in 2018, including research training at the CIQUS Research Center in Spain. Following her PhD, she joined Prof. Eddy Sotelo’s group at CIQUS as a postdoctoral researcher, where the scientific foundations of Celtarys were established. Since co-founding the company in 2021, she has led all scientific activities, from proprietary technology development to international collaborations and funded research projects. Her work centers on GPCR modulators, synthetic chemistry, and enabling robust biological assays through high-quality chemical tools. Johannes Broichhagen, PhD Dr. Johannes Broichhagen is a group leader at the Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) in Berlin. Trained as a chemist, he studied at the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg and completed his PhD at LMU Munich, followed by postdoctoral research at EPFL in Switzerland. His research focuses on bottom-up chemical tool development for imaging and interrogating GPCRs and other cell-surface proteins in complex biological systems. By combining fluorophore design, ligand chemistry, and pharmacology, his work enables precise visualization of receptor localization, dynamics, and function across tissues. David Hodson, PhD Dr. David Hodson is the Robert Turner Professor of Diabetic Medicine at the University of Oxford and a leading expert in metabolic GPCR biology. Originally trained as a veterinary surgeon, he conducted postdoctoral research at the CNRS in Montpellier before establishing independent laboratories at Imperial College London and later the University of Birmingham. His research focuses on class B GPCRs, including the GLP-1 and GIP receptors, with an emphasis on understanding how these receptors operate within complex tissues such as the pancreas and brain. By integrating advanced tools and translational biology, his work directly informs therapeutic strategies for diabetes and obesity. Guests on The Web Maria Majellaro LinkedIn ResearchGate Ecosystem Johannes Broichhagen LinkedIn Google Scholar Lab Website Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) Profile David Hodson Radcliffe Department of Medicine Islet Biology Lab University of Birmingham Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Sudha Shenoy About Dr. Sudha Shenoy Dr. Sudha Shenoy is currently an Associate Professor in Medicine & Cell Biology in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Duke University Medical Center. She received her Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University and completed her postdoctoral training with Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz (Nobel Laureate, 2012) at Duke University. Dr. Shenoy’s postdoctoral research discovered that ubiquitination of mammalian G protein-coupled receptors is a tag for lysosomal degradation, whereas ubiquitination of the adaptor protein, β-arrestin, is a tag for receptor internalization and formation of signaling endosomes. Her laboratory has continued to work on identifying the molecular mechanisms that ascribe ubiquitin code on GPCRs and β-arrestins. Current efforts aim to understand the regulation of GPCR and beta-arrestin signaling in the heart and vascular endothelium by the deubiquitinating enzymes USP20 and USP33. Dr. Sudha Shenoy on the web Duke University Personal Reflections and Words of Wisdom: Story From Dr. Sudha Shenoy LinkedIn Pubmed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

Biotech founder Ajay Yekkirala shares how AI, GPCRs, and bold questions are driving next-gen pain therapeutics and drug discovery innovation. << Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) From Curiosity to Breakthrough: Ajay Yekkirala on GPCR Innovation What if the key to safer, more effective drugs lies in asking the right questions — and daring to challenge what’s “not possible”? In this episode, Dr. Ajay Yekkirala shares the pivotal moments that transformed him from a curious PhD student into a GPCR drug developer and entrepreneur. Dr. Ajay Yekkirala is a GPCR pharmacologist, biotech entrepreneur, and co-founder of Superluminal Medicines, a company using machine learning to unlock new GPCR-targeted therapies. In this wide-ranging conversation, he reflects on the mentors, failures, and bold questions that shaped his journey from academia to AI-powered drug discovery. Why This Matters Translating basic GPCR science into actual medicines is broken. Ajay unpacks why—and what it takes to fix it. AI is reshaping how we understand protein dynamics , but only when driven by deep biological questions. Young scientists are hungry for alternate career paths. This episode is a playbook for thinking bigger. Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. Ajay reveals how humility, curiosity, and collaboration fuel the future of drug discovery. What You’ll Learn in This Episode How Ajay’s failed MD/PhD application rerouted his path toward a breakthrough GPCR research career The inside story behind founding Blue Therapeutics and targeting supraspinal pain pathway What it means to “teach AI protein dynamics,” and how Superluminal is using it to predict signaling bias The entrepreneurial lessons no one tells postdocs: how to pitch, fail, and build a team Why asking “what if it can be done?” is the heart of scientific innovation Who Should Listen PhD students and postdocs exploring biotech careers GPCR scientists interested in translational innovation Biotech investors and strategic leaders seeking new drug development models Anyone curious about where AI meets molecular pharmacology About Ajay Yekkirala Dr. Ajay Yekkirala is a molecular pharmacologist, biotech founder, and scientist whose career has been defined by bold questions and even bolder moves. Originally on track to pursue an MD/PhD, a rejection letter pivoted him into a PhD program at the University of Iowa, where he studied opioid pharmacology under the legendary Dr. Philip Portoghese. That “failure” became a launchpad: Ajay later joined the lab of Dr. Clifford Woolf at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he deepened his understanding of pain biology and began dreaming bigger. Driven by the opioid crisis and the lack of non-addictive pain treatments, Ajay co-founded Blue Therapeutics, a biotech startup focused on targeting supraspinal GPCRs for chronic pain. But he didn’t stop there. Seeing the limits of traditional drug discovery, he later co-founded Superluminal Medicines, a company using machine learning to explore GPCR structure-function relationships and predict biased signaling with precision. Ajay’s work sits at the intersection of GPCR biology, AI, and translational medicine. He’s a strong advocate for cross-disciplinary thinking, mentoring young scientists, and building companies that solve real, unmet needs in human health. His story is one of relentless curiosity, humility in the face of complexity, and an unshakable belief in science’s power to do better. Ajay Yekkirala on the web Superluminal Medicines LinkedIn Tune in now to hear how asking “what if?” led Ajay Yekkirala to reshape the future of GPCR-targeted medicine. Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

GPCR scientist Ben Clements shares how positive allosteric modulators could transform opioid therapy by boosting efficacy and reducing side effects. << Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) When to Walk, When to Run: Lessons from the GPCR Trenches with Dr. Ben Clements The Power of Inclusion in the GPCR Field This episode kicks off with a celebration of early-career scientists. Host Dr. Yamina Berchiche emphasizes the importance of diverse voices in the GPCR community: “It’s been a very difficult path to get more early-career scientists on the podcast. But it’s important to make your voice heard.” Benjamin Clements , a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, joins the conversation as a rising voice in GPCR pharmacology. His journey highlights the transition from general drug development to a deep dive into G protein-coupled receptors. From Aspirations to Application: Ben’s Path into Science Ben shares his winding yet deliberate entry into science. Initially driven by a general passion for biology and a childhood dream of being an astronaut, he began with intestinal choline transport research at UNC. The realization that basic science could impact real patients was transformative. “It’s not just raw science — this can help someone at the end of the day.” – Ben Clements His pivot into neuroscience and pharmacology during grad school at the University of Minnesota laid the groundwork for his current work in GPCR pharmacology. GPCRs and the Opioid Crisis: A New Pharmacological Frontier Now at the University of Michigan, Ben focuses on positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) targeting opioid receptors. The goal: maximize analgesia while minimizing side effects . “We’re enhancing the powerful pain-relieving effects of opioids while limiting respiratory depression, constipation, and abuse liability.” He is particularly excited by the novel application of PAMs in chronic and neuropathic pain models , including the neuroma model , which is typically opioid-insensitive. Allosteric Modulation: The New Frontier of GPCR Drug Discovery Ben reflects on the emerging potential of allosteric modulation in GPCRs — a field that has lagged behind ion channels in clinical applications. “Allosteric modulation in GPCRs is so novel and so exciting. There’s so much availability, so much we don’t know yet.” By working with distinct chemical scaffolds like thiazolidines and xanthinediones, Ben is helping define how structurally different PAMs may act on similar receptor sites. Scientific Rigor: The Value of ‘Old School’ Pharmacology Despite the availability of modern tools, Ben stresses the enduring value of classical methods like GTPγS assays , radioligand binding , and basic PK/PD models . “It doesn’t matter how many cool, fun tools you have. If you don’t understand the math that underlies an allosteric modulator, you won’t understand what’s happening.” This mindset keeps his science grounded, reproducible, and rooted in fundamentals. Mentorship, Team Culture, and the Joy of Science Science is serious work, but Ben believes fun and collaboration fuel great outcomes. At Michigan, his lab balances rigor with light-hearted engagement — like daily squirrel trivia on their whiteboard. “Science is fun. We produce great data, but we also joke around. That’s how we work best.” Strong mentorship, open communication, and peer learning — especially from undergraduate trainees — shape his development as both a scientist and future educator. Translating Discovery into Therapy: Bench to Bedside Vision Ben’s work seeks to merge in vitro mechanistic data with in vivo efficacy , guiding medicinal chemists toward creating druggable PAMs . “The goal is to smash all the amazing biology together and make a drug.” Using site-directed mutagenesis and pharmacological synergy assays , his team aims to understand how and where these compounds interact with the receptor, paving the way for structure-based drug design . Structural Biology Roadblocks: The Cryo-EM Challenge One bottleneck in Ben’s work is visualizing binding sites of PAMs via cryo-EM , due to low compound potency and membrane-embedded binding pockets. “Our compounds don’t bind well enough to be seen clearly. That’s a real challenge with allosterics.” Still, by collaborating with structural biology teams and combining cryo-EM with NMR , his lab is narrowing down potential binding regions. Lessons in Confidence, Collaboration, and Aha Moments From asserting himself as an undergrad to mastering unique techniques in grad school, Ben has accumulated key “aha” moments that shaped his confidence: Standing up to big names when safety was compromised. Realizing his technical skills were indispensable to the team. Discovering breakthrough results in neuroma pain models via a spontaneous collaboration. “We found something incredible — a tenfold shift in the methadone dose-response with our PAM.” Advice for Junior Scientists: Read, Rest, Run Ben closes with wisdom for early-career researchers: “Academia is about knowing when to walk and when to run.” – Advice from Kelsey Flepsen He advocates: Reading one paper a day. Taking care of yourself when possible. Pushing hard when deadlines or breakthroughs demand it. “Your brain’s not a machine. Let it rest. That’s when the best ideas come — in the shower or on a walk.” Key Takeaway This Episode with Ben Clements is a deep dive into the pharmacological potential of GPCRs , the power of mentorship, and the mindset required to thrive in science. With clarity, curiosity, and a collaborative spirit, Ben reminds us that impactful science isn’t just about technology — it’s about people, persistence, and timing. “Science is all about knowing when to walk and knowing when to run.” About Ben Clements Dr. Ben M Clements is a behavioral pharmacologist who uses in vitro and in vivo models to discover and characterize novel treatments for chronic pain and opioid use disorder. He received his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from the University of Minnesota in 2022, studying the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of NMDA receptor antagonists. At the University of Michigan, Ben focuses on determining the mechanisms of action of a series of positive allosteric modulators of the mu-opioid receptor. This project involves molecular pharmacology in cell models to determine binding sites and mechanisms of allostery, as well as efficacy studies in mouse and rat models of acute and chronic pain. Dr. Clements' work is primarily focused on translational developments of small molecule therapeutics, and intends to apply these ideas to an independent academic laboratory. In addition, he plans to continue studying how neuromodulators, both exogenous and endogenous, can influence cellular activity, physiological behaviors, and human health. Ben Clements on the web University of Michigan X Google Scholar LinkedIn Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Graeme Milligan About Dr. Graeme Milligan Professor Graeme Milligan is Gardiner Professor of Biochemistry, Dean of Research, and Deputy Head of the College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Sciences at the University of Glasgow. His main research group centers on the function, structure, and regulation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and their interacting proteins. His experience also includes translating knowledge generated into the selection of targets, screening, and identification of small molecule regulators of these proteins, and progressing such ligands in drug development programs. Prof. Milligan has published more than 550 peer-reviewed articles and his research has been cited more than 35,000 times. He was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1998 and to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2016. Prof. Milligan is the co-founder of both Caldan Therapeutics (2015) which discovers novel therapeutics for metabolic diseases including Type 2 Diabetes and other indications including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and inflammatory diseases and Keltic Pharma Therapeutics (2020) which is developing new treatments for malaria. Dr. Graeme Milligan on the web University of Glasgow ResearchGate PubMed Orcid Google Scholar LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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 Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Arthur Christopoulos About Dr. Arthur Christopoulos " Arthur Christopoulos is the Professor of Analytical Pharmacology and the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Australia. His research focuses on novel paradigms of drug action at GPCRs, particularly allosteric modulation and biased agonism, and incorporates computational and mathematical modelling, structural and chemical biology, molecular and cellular pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and preclinical models of behaviour and disease. His work has been applied to studies encompassing neurological and psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, chronic pain and addiction. He has received substantial, long-term support from international and national competitive, charitable and commercial sources, as well as being academic co-founder of three GPCR-focussed biotechnology companies. Professor Christopoulos has over 360 publications, including in leading international journals such as Nature,Science and Cell, and has delivered over 180 invited presentations. He has served on the Editorial Board of 8 international journals and was a Councillor of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR). He has also been the recipient of multiple awards, including the John J. Abel Award and the Goodman and Gilman Award from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics; the Rand Medal from the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists; the British Pharmacological Society’s Gaddum Memorial Award; the IUPHAR Sir James Black Analytical Pharmacology Lecturer; the GSK Award for Research Excellence and a Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from the University of Athens. Since 2014, Clarivate Analytics have annually named him a Highly Cited Researcher in ‘Pharmacology & Toxicology’, and in 2021 also named him a Highly Cited Researcher in the additional category of ‘Biology & Biochemistry’. In 2017, he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, in 2018 as a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society, and in 2021 he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science for his seminal contributions to drug discovery. In 2023, he was elected a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. " Dr. Arthur Christopoulos on the web Monash University Wikipedia Google Scholar LinkedIn Dr. GPCR AI Summary AI-generated content may be inaccurate or misleading. Always check for accuracy. Quick recap Yamina and Arthur from Monash University discussed Arthur's career journey, the importance of hard work, failure, and differentiation in academic and personal lives, and the value of international conferences. They also explored the significance of translating fundamental discoveries into clinical applications, the potential of new drugs, and the unique challenges within universities. Additionally, they discussed the importance of hiring based on differentiation, impact, and interest, the need for workforce development, and the potential of involving junior scientists and postdocs in their podcast. Lastly, they touched upon the global challenges of healthcare workforce growth, climate change, and emerging psychiatric disorders, as well as the importance of recording lectures and making pre-lesson materials available to students. Next steps - Yamina will share notes about PRISM and presentability with Arthur. - Arthur will share the story of PRISM's development and its impact on the field with Yamina. - Yamina will send an invite for a follow-up meeting with Arthur next Saturday at 9 PM. - Arthur and Yamina will prepare for the next meeting, focusing on the concept of biased agonism and discussing Dr. GPCR and the charity status. - Yamina will attempt to book Denise for a future podcast episode. Summary Arthur's Career Journey and Transition to Dean Yamina introduced Arthur to her team and discussed the use of a particular tool for meeting summaries. Arthur shared his career journey from pharmacy to becoming a professor, highlighting the influence of his mentors and the importance of his postdoctoral experience. They discussed the value of hard work, failure, and the significance of differentiation in their personal and academic lives. Towards the end, they focused on Arthur's transition to become Dean and his decision to move from Australia to the United States for a postdoctoral position. Postdoctoral Position, Scientific Dynamics, and New Drug Targets Arthur shared his decision to undertake a postdoctoral position with Nigel Bird's lab in the UK and his experiences of meeting influential figures during his time in the US. He and Yamina discussed the importance of preserving original work, the value of international conferences, and the dynamics between junior and senior scientists in a research environment. They also shared their admiration for the work of a mutual friend and discussed the history of muscarinic receptors, specifically focusing on the role of a compound that Arthur received from Fred. Lastly, they discussed the progress of new drugs targeting specific receptors for various diseases, with Arthur sharing insights on Eli Lilly's compound, Xanomeline, and the potential of M4 PAM for psychosis. Collaborative Research and Translational Approach Arthur and Yamina from Monash University discussed their collaborative approach to scientific research, emphasizing the benefits of combining their complementary skills and interests. They shared their unconventional approaches to research, including the creation of a critical mass of GPCR researchers in Australia and the initiation of a successful series of conferences. They also discussed the relocation of some university labs to facilitate collaboration and overcome the siloed department structure. Additionally, they explored the unique culture and structure of their Institute, highlighting its translational approach to research and its capacity to translate research into therapeutic commercialization. Lastly, Arthur shared three significant moments that shaped his career, including the evolution and impact of analytical pharmacology, particularly highlighting the role of Prism, a data analysis tool. Podcast Format, Team Culture, and Science Yamina and Arthur concluded their discussion and decided to take a short break. They talked about the format and length of their podcast, their professional interests, and their recent successful bid to bring Moderna to their university. They also explored the idea of starting a similar talk show format to 'Between Two Ferns', the importance of maintaining team culture, and the potential health issues among well-known scientists. Lastly, they discussed the growth and development of the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the importance of knowing when to let go in scientific experiments, and the idea of a panel for building and incubating companies. Arthur's Pandemic Journey and Global Challenges Yamina and Arthur discussed Arthur's experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, his journey as a research fellow in Australia, and his transition to the role of Dean. Arthur shared his insights into the unique grant funding system in Australia, the importance of impact in research, and the challenges of balancing administrative responsibilities with scientific pursuits. He also reflected on his personal health struggles, the growth of his university, and the faculty's successful response to the Covid crisis. The conversation also touched upon Arthur's career decisions, his scientific achievements, and the importance of learning from mistakes and self-confidence. Lastly, they discussed the global challenges of healthcare workforce growth, climate change, and emerging psychiatric disorders, as well as the importance of recording lectures and having pre-lesson materials available to students. Translating Discovery Into Clinical Application Arthur and Yamina discussed the importance of translating fundamental discoveries into clinical applications in their research, highlighting the unique opportunities presented by their location and partnerships with other institutions. They stressed the necessity of making their research goals clearer, avoiding replication, and adopting a more assertive approach in grant applications. They also emphasized the significance of fundamental discoveries, the role of biotech, and the need for efficiency and process development in university systems. The conversation highlighted ongoing challenges within universities, including resistance to change and the need to communicate expectations and protect established cultures. Hiring Process, Collaboration, and Education-Focused Initiatives Arthur emphasized the importance of differentiation, impact, and interest in their hiring process and fostering a culture of collaboration. He shared his vision of breaking down barriers and promoting education-focused initiatives, encouraging his team to be innovative and apply their skills to education. Yamina expressed a desire to learn from successful leaders and the importance of recognizing talent and matching it with the needs of a particular project. They also discussed the disruption within the pharmaceutical sector, the importance of workforce development, and the need for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Lastly, they deliberated on involving junior scientists and postdocs in their podcast and the possibility of writing a book about their experiences in academia. Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

Explore Martin Marro’s impact on GPCR drug discovery, assay innovation, and translational pharmacology bridging academia, pharma, and biotech. << Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) GPCR Assay Strategy, Bias, and Translational Drug Discovery This episode features Dr. Martin Marro, currently Executive Director and Head of Cell Pharmacology at Eli Lilly’s Obesity Research Group. Dr. Marro’s career spans big pharma and biotech, encompassing functional assay development, GPCR internalization research, and both small molecule and biologic drug discovery. He discusses his formative scientific experiences, critical decision points moving from academia into industry, and his role leading and shaping multidisciplinary teams for screening and innovative therapeutics targeting metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The conversation explores the realities of using fluorescence-based assays, the challenge of translating in vitro pharmacology to in vivo models, lessons on bias agonism, and novel approaches in antibody discovery for GPCR targets. Dr. Marro’s path highlights the strategic and methodological pivots essential for driving projects into the clinic. For a deeper dive into modern GPCR research and tools, explore more episodes of the GPCR Podcast and discover Dr. GPCR Premium resources. Why This Matters? How advanced assay design is essential for translating cell-based GPCR signals to therapeutic outcomes. Why strategic flexibility in exploring non-canonical signaling pathways is critical for GPCR-targeted drug discovery. What learning from “failed” screens can reveal about receptor pharmacology and species selectivity. The moment when bias agonism and receptor trafficking concepts shifted industry standards for functional assays. How integrating antibody-based modalities has expanded options for hard-to-drug GPCR targets. Why persistent scientific questioning and collaborative networks accelerate GPCR innovation across disease areas. Who Should Listen? This episode is relevant to anyone navigating the complex landscape of GPCR research and translational pharmacology. Those facing disconnects between in vitro functional data and in vivo efficacy in GPCR programs. Researchers refining strategies for high-throughput screening or exploring biased signaling. Teams expanding into antibody or biologic modalities for challenging GPCR targets. Scientists seeking practical advice on career pivots between academia, pharma, and biotech. About Martin Marro Dr. Martin Marro leads the Cell Pharmacology group in the Diabetes, Obesity and Complications Therapeutic Area at Lilly's Seaport Innovation Center in Boston. His scientific training included a PhD at the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, followed by an industrial postdoctoral fellowship at GSK, where he entered the GPCR field and became proficient in aptamer selection and cell signaling assays. Dr. Marro’s career advanced through roles at Novartis and Tectonic Therapeutic, contributing to projects across key therapeutic areas—spanning metabolic, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal diseases. With over two decades in drug discovery, he has established expertise in early phase functional assay development, small molecule and biologics research, and team leadership through high-profile programs. Awarded patents and a proven record in both target and pathway identification, his drive centers on integrating rigorous pharmacology with translational impact while cultivating innovation and scientific growth within his teams. Guest on The Web LinkedIn Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Yamina Berchiche About Dr. Yamina Berchiche Dr. Yamina A. Berchiche is the founder of Dr. GPCR, an ecosystem designed to bring together stakeholders interested in using G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) that control virtually everything in the body as drug targets. The mission of Dr. GPCR is to accelerate GPCR drug discovery by sharing the latest research and technology advances in the field and providing exposure to scientists through the Dr. GPCR podcast. Dr. Berchiche obtained her Master’s and Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Montreal in Canada before training at Rockefeller University in New York and the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. She developed expertise over the past two decades studying structure/function relationships of GPCRs using live-cell bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). Her work focused on chemokine receptors, members of the GPCR family that control cell movement in the body. Dr. Yamina Berchiche on the web Website LinkedIn Facebook Twitter ResearchGate PubMed Google Scholar Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

Dr. Paul Insel explains how unbiased GPCR expression profiling uncovered overlooked receptors in cancer — and why the field may need to rethink which GPCRs matter most. << Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Paul Insel: Unbiased Discovery and the GPCRs We've Been Missing The GPCR field has produced thousands of studies on a small number of well-characterized receptors. But what if the ones that matter most in human disease are the ones we haven't prioritized? Dr. Paul Insel's lab at UC San Diego has pursued this question using unbiased expression profiling — GPCR arrays, RNA-seq, and single-cell analysis — to catalog which receptors are actually highly expressed across human tissues and disease states. In pancreatic cancer, proton-sensing GPCRs such as GPR68 are dramatically upregulated in cancer-associated fibroblasts, creating feedback loops between the tumor microenvironment and stroma that may drive disease progression. Across 45 cancer types, numerous GPCRs show elevated expression without corresponding mutations — a pattern the mutation-centric oncology paradigm has largely missed. For Dr. Insel, this shift began with a single dataset — a postdoc's unbiased expression profile showing the most abundant receptor in a normal human cell type had almost no literature behind it. Listeners will gain perspective on how asking broader questions about receptor biology can reshape drug discovery priorities. About the Guest Dr. Paul Insel is Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. His research spans four decades of GPCR signaling, from cyclic AMP and adrenergic receptor biology to purinergic receptors and, most recently, proton-sensing GPCRs in the tumor microenvironment. His lab combines bioinformatic analysis of GPCR expression across human cancers with wet-lab validation in animal models, particularly in pancreatic cancer. Dr. Insel also directs UCSD's MD-PhD Medical Scientist Training Program, a role he has held for over 30 years. Scientific Themes of the Conversation Unbiased receptor discovery — Why hypothesis-free expression profiling reveals GPCRs that decades of targeted research missed GPCRs in the tumor microenvironment — Proton-sensing receptors, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and the role of low pH in tumor signaling Drug repurposing through receptor mapping — Identifying already-approved drugs that target overexpressed GPCRs in cancer Reductionism vs. native cell biology — The limits of studying purified components and the case for understanding receptors in intact cellular environments Biased signaling in practice — Why the promise of biased agonism is more complicated than the field hoped Breadth as a scientific strategy — How reading across disciplines and resisting premature narrowing drives discovery Key Insights from the Conversation 1. The biggest discoveries came from asking what was being overlooked Dr. Insel's late-career pivot began with a deceptively simple question: are we studying the right GPCRs? When his lab ran unbiased expression profiles on normal human cells, the most highly expressed receptor — PAR1 — had almost no functional literature behind it. Nature had placed it at the top; science had barely looked. 2. Proton-sensing GPCRs create a feedback loop in pancreatic cancer GPR68 is dramatically upregulated in cancer-associated fibroblasts — not the cancer cells themselves. The tumor signals fibroblasts to raise GPR68 expression, and the low pH of the tumor microenvironment then activates that receptor, which signals back to promote cancer survival. It is a positive feedback loop that exploits the acidic environment tumors naturally create. 3. GPCRs are overexpressed across dozens of cancers — without mutations A large bioinformatic study from Dr. Insel's lab examined GPCR expression across 45 human cancer types and found widespread over expression without corresponding increases in copy number or mutation frequency. This challenges the mutation-centric framework that dominates oncology and suggests GPCRs may contribute to pathophysiology through expression changes alone. 4. The field's reductionism may be hiding how receptors actually work Dr. Insel has long argued that purifying receptors, depleting GTP, and stabilizing conformations through mutations teaches us about components — not about how cells actually use them. He compares the biochemist's approach to smashing a television with a wrecking ball and trying to reassemble the pieces to understand how it works. 5. Biased signaling is real but harder to exploit than expected GPR68 couples to both Gq and Gs, and the functional effects in cancer-associated fibroblasts appear to run primarily through Gs. In principle, biased antagonists could selectively block the disease-relevant pathway. But Dr. Insel is cautious — signaling bias operates on a conformational continuum, and clinical translation has not yet matched the elegance of the concept. 6. A career redirected by a dinner and an empty schedule In 1975, Dr. Insel was the only unmarried scientist at a dinner with Al Gilman. The group needed someone to visit Gilman's lab to learn radioligand binding — and he was the one with nothing else to do. That accidental assignment launched a career in GPCR signaling that has now spanned over four decades. 7. The "unknown unknowns" should change how we fund and train scientists Dr. Insel believes the training system pushes young researchers to narrow too early, at the cost of the cross-disciplinary thinking that leads to real discoveries. His own career has been shaped by reading broadly and importing ideas from other fields — a strategy he sees as increasingly essential as GPCR biology intersects with cancer, immunology, and systems biology. Episode Timeline 00:00 Introduction and context 01:08 Dr. Insel's path from medicine to molecular pharmacology 05:15 The origin story — dinner with Al Gilman and the start of a GPCR career 09:06 Evolving receptor loves: from adrenergic to purinergic to proton-sensing GPCRs 13:19 Proton-sensing GPCRs: what they are and why they matter 16:18 GPR68 and the feedback loop in pancreatic cancer 19:46 Challenges of targeting GPCRs in oncology — funding, skepticism, and the mutation paradigm 25:05 AI, in silico screening, and the limits of computational drug discovery without structures 31:33 Biased signaling: promise, complexity, and caution 35:00 The case against reductionism — why native cell biology matters 38:05 Advice for young scientists: think broadly, resist narrowing too fast 42:14 Aha moments — the data that changed the direction of a lab 47:30 The future of the GPCR superfamily and the work still to be done Selected Quotes "I said, which receptors are the highest expressed? And the answer was PAR1, the thrombin receptor. So I did what anyone would do — I looked up what's known about it. And the answer was nothing." "We don't know what we don't know. And I think that's been a real driver for how I've approached the last several years of my scientific effort." "If you ask a biochemist how does a television work, he would probably take a wrecking ball to it and then try to piece all the little parts back together." "Nature decided, for reasons that none of us will ever probably know for sure, that GPCRs should be the largest receptor membrane family. And there's still a lot to be learned." About this episode In 1975, Dr. Paul Insel was at the FASEB experimental biology meeting in Atlantic City. During dinner with colleagues and Alfred Gillman , co-recipient of the 1994 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of G-proteins and their role in signal transduction in cells, Paul was designated to go to Gillman’s lab . That summer, he used radioligand binding methods to dissect receptor function from the adenylyl cyclase activated by ligands, including adrenaline. From that point on, Paul was hooked and has since studied receptor function in human physiology, receptor molecular pharmacology in cells, and animal models, and as he puts it has now he’s "gone full circle" back to studying GPCRs important in human pathophysiology. Today, Paul and his team focus on previously unrecognized receptors with the hopes to use these as novel drug targets. Dr. Paul Insel on the web Insel Laboratory Institute of Engineering in Medicine UC San Diego UCSD Profiles Google PubMed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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. Lauren M. Slosky About Dr. Lauren M. Slosky Lauren Slosky is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and a member of the Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, a multidisciplinary initiative within the University of Minnesota’s Medical School to advance research and treatment in the field of drug addiction. Dr. Slosky’s research is focused on understanding how neuropeptide G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulate motivated behavior and how these receptors can be targeted for therapeutic benefit. Dr. Slosky was awarded a B.S. with honors in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Psychology from The University of Arizona in 2011. She received a Ph.D. in Medical Pharmacology from The University of Arizona in 2015 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Marc G. Caron at Duke University. Dr. Slosky opened her laboratory at the University of Minnesota Medical School in 2021. While a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Slosky characterized a new class of β-arrestin biased allosteric modulators (BAMs) for the neurotensin receptor 1. These ligands stimulate receptor β-arrestin recruitment without activating canonical G protein signaling. Critically, these ligands reduce addiction-associated behaviors in animal models without the side effects characteristic of balanced receptor activation. Because BAMs engage less well-conserved allosteric sites and exert pathway-specific effects on receptor signaling, they are exciting tools for linking distinct signaling pathways with their physiological effects and may serve as the basis for more selective therapeutics. This work was made possible by the optimization of longitudinal intravenous self-administration paradigms for genetically modified mice. Integrating GPCR biology, behavioral pharmacology, and systems neuroscience approaches, the Slosky Lab is now working to understand how the principles of receptor allosterism and functional selectivity can be leveraged in the development of safe and effective treatments for stimulant and opioid use disorders. Dr. Slosky’s work has been recognized through several travel and research awards, including the William James Psychology Award, the Hank Yamamura Endowed Fellowship in Pharmacology, an NIH F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship, and an NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award. In addition to research, Dr. Slosky is passionate about training the next generation of scientists and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in science. An advocate for trainees at all levels, she served as Service Chairperson and Interim President of the Duke University Postdoctoral Association. She is currently a faculty trainer for the University of Minnesota's MS and Ph.D. programs in Pharmacology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, and Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program and is working to build relationships with key stakeholders through institutional and community service. Dr. Lauren M. Slosky on the web Twitter University of Minnesota Department Page LinkedIn Google Scholar PubMed Research Gate Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 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 Upcoming Live Expert Sessions ➚ 🔒Explore the Full Masterclass ➚ Unlock the Full Dr. GPCR Learning Ecosystem ✔ Full Masterclass library ✔ Terry's Pharmacology Corner ✔ Advanced GPCR courses ✔ Scientific discussions → Become Premium 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 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 Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>