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

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. John Streicher About this episode Our guest in this episode of the Dr.GPCR podcast is Dr. John Streicher from the department of pharmacology at the University of Arizona. John started grad school in 1999 and spent some time figuring out what he was interested in. It turns out that it was signal transduction, and he worked on the signaling cascades involved in heart failure. His encounter and interest in signaling in the context of GPCRs during his postdoctoral training in Dr. Laura Bohn’s lab at Scripps Research Institute in Florida. Today, John and his team focus on understanding how signal transduction cascades downstream of the opioid receptors work, including the unique organization of chaperone protein Hsp90 modulation of opioid signaling in the brain versus the spinal cord. Dr. John Streicher on the web University of Arizona Department of Pharmacology Google Scholar Pubmed LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Arun Shukla About this episode In this episode of the Dr.GPCR podcast , my guest is Dr. Arun Shukla from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India. Arun is currently an Associate Professor & Joy Gill Chair Professor, Intermediate Fellow, Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance Swarnajayanti Fellow & EMBO Young Investigator at the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering. He earned his master's degree in biotechnology from Jawaharlal Nehru University in India and it was during a biochemistry class where he learned about cell signaling that he became curious and wanted to learn more about it. Arun first started working on GPCRs and their structural characterization at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics where he completed his doctoral studies in the lab of Dr. Hartmut Michel . Fascinated by GPCRs he wrote to Dr. Bob Lefkowitz and asked him if he could join his lab at Duke University. Dr. Shukla spent several years in the Lefkowitz lab and collaborated extensively with Dr. Brian Kolbika of Stanford University. Join us and learn more about Dr. Shukla’s research and how working in the lab instead of going to classes made him realize that research is what he wants to do for the rest of his life. Dr. Arun Shukla on the web Indian Institute of Technology Dr. Arun Shukla Lab Google Scholar PubMed Wikipedia LinkedIn Twitter Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

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 Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

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

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Eleonora Comeo About this episode Eleonora Comeo is a doctoral candidate in Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery in the joint program of the University of Nottingham in the UK and Monash University in Australia. We sat down to chat about GPCRs, synthesizing labeled ligands, and her unique position that allows her to work with GPCR scientists on 2 continents. We also touched on how COVID-19 affected her Ph.D. work. Eleonora Comeo on the web LinkedIn ResearchGate Pubmed Google Scholar Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. 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 Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Julia Gardner About Julia Gardner Julia is a senior undergraduate student at Duke University, where she studies chemistry and Chinese. Julia has been working as a researcher in Duke's Rajagopal Lab since her first year as an undergraduate. In the Rajagopal Lab, Julia studies the mechanisms of 'biased signaling' at GPCRs, with a specific focus on the chemokine receptor CXCR3. She recently led a project that demonstrated the GPCR kinases (GRKs) can translocate to endosomes, and that the subcellular localization of the GRKs affects a GPCR's biased signaling profile. Last summer, Julia worked at as the first-ever summer intern at Septerna, the GPCR-based biotechnology company founded by Duke Nobel laureate Dr. Robert Lefkowitz. In the fall, Julia will begin her MD/PhD training. Julia Gardner on the web Rajagopal Lab Google Scholar ResearchGate LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. J. Silvio Gutkind About this episode Dr. J. Silvio Gutkind sheds light on his work and life since the beginning of COVID restrictions. A large component of his work is centered around dysregulated signaling in cancer and the development of novel mechanism-based cancer therapies. In this episode, Dr. J. Silvio Gutkind highlights how his past experience proves useful in current COVID times and potential benefits the changes in work environments can do for future collaborations. Dr. J. Silvio Gutkind on the web Gutkind Lab – UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Gutkind Lab publications More Publications from the Gutkind Lab on Pubmed Dr. J Silvio Gutkind on LinkedIn Gutkind Lab on Twitter UCSD Moores Cancer Center Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. 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 Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

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

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Steve McCloskey About Steve McCloskey Steve McCloskey is an Alumni from the first class of Nanoengineering at the University of California, San Diego. Steve’s work is focused on emerging technologies applied to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). During his time at UC San Diego Steve worked directly with the founding Chair of the Nanoengineering Department, Ken Vecchio helping set the foundation for the Nanoengineering Materials Research Center and developing thermodynamic processing methods for Iron-based Superelastic alloys. After graduating from UCSD he founded Nanome Inc to build Virtual Reality solutions for Scientists and Engineers working at the nanoscale, specifically protein engineering and small molecule drug development. Steve McCloskey on the web Website LinkedIn Twitter ResearchGate Medium Orchid Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Stephen Ferguson The History of the Great Lakes GPCR Retreat with Dr. Stephen Ferguson About Dr. Stephen Ferguson Dr. Stephen Ferguson is a Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa. He did B.Sc. in biology at McGill University and received his Ph.D. under the mentorship of Dr. Brian Collier in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at McGill University (1994). He did his postdoctoral training with Dr. Marc G. Caron at Duke University (1994-1997), where he and his colleagues investigated the role of G protein-coupled receptor kinases and beta-arrestin in regulating G protein-coupled receptor endocytosis, trafficking, and signaling. He has held four Canada Research Chairs since 2001 and was previously a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada MacDonald Scholar (1998-2003) and Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario Career Investigator (2003-2016). He was a recipient of Canada's Top 40 under 40 award in 2004 and received Queen Elizabeth II, Diamond Jubilee Medal, in 2012. He has also received both Junior (2001) and Senior (2005) investigator awards from the Pharmacological Society of Canada. Most recently, in 2021, he was elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Science (FCAHS). His research career has focused on the investigation of the regulation of G protein-coupled receptors signaling mechanisms in health and disease. He currently holds multiple research grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for his research investigating the role of metabotropic glutamate receptor signaling in Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Stephen Ferguson on the web Carlton University Canada Research Chairs Twitter ResearchGate LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Great Lakes GPCR Retreat on the web 21st Great Lakes GPCR Retreat More about previous GPCR Retreat meetings Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

Full Agenda Adhesion GPCR workshop 2024 CINVESTAV, Mexico City, Mexico October 23-25 Download PDF Program HERE < Back to Full Agenda Session VI AGPCRs shaping the nervous system ADGRCs in glutamatergic synapse formation, maintenance and degeneration Yimin Zou Antibody-drug conjugates targeting CD97 in glioblastoma Dimitris Placantonakis Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor latrophilin-3 (ADGRL3) modulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission Nicole Perry-Hauser ADGRCs in glutamatergic synapse formation, maintenance and degeneration Yimin Zou Abstract "ADGRCs (Celsr1-3) are components of the conserved planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, which establishes and maintains cell and tissue polarity along the tissue plane in all tissues. Work from our lab showed that the PCP components, including ADGRC2 and ADGRC3, are localized in the developing and adult synapses and interact with synaptic scaffold proteins and glutamate receptors and are responsible for the formation and stability of the vast majority of glutamatergic synapses in the mammalian brain. Initial impairment of synaptic functions, which occurs early in Alzheimer’s disease, and subsequent massive loss of synapses are closely correlated with the decline of cognitive function. We showed that oligomeric Aβ binds to ADGRC3 on the same domain required for the interaction with Frizzled3, weakens their interaction and assists Vangl2 in disassembling synapses. Conditionally knocking out Ryk, required for Vangl2 function, protected synapses and preserved cognitive function in a mouse model for Alzheimer’s. Massive synapse loss in the prefrontal cortex is a hallmark of massive depressive disorder. Injection of low-dose ketamine, an antidepressant, can lead to acute (in several hours) and sustained (up to several weeks) antidepressive effects. Restoration of synaptic connections induced by low-dose ketamine has been found associated with the sustained antidepressive effects. We showed that ADGRC2 and ADGRC3 are required for the restoration of glutamatergic synapses in prefrontal cortical neurons of chronically stressed animals and their behavioral remission induced by low-dose ketamine. I will also present ongoing work on the signaling mechanisms of how ADGRCs regulate synapse formation, maintenance and plasticity." About Yimin Zou "I received Ph.D from University of California at Davis and San Diego in 1995 and then postdoctoral training from University of California, San Francisco in 2000. I was an assistant and then associate professor with tenure at the University of Chicago from 2000 to 2006 and moved to University of California San Diego as an Associate Professor in 2006. I became full professor in 2011 and Vice Chair of the Neurobiology Department at UC San Diego in 2012. I served as the Chair of the Neurobiology Department at UC San Diego from 2014 to 2017. My research focus is the mechanisms of neural circuit development, function and disease." Yimin Zou on the web UC San Diego Antibody-drug conjugates targeting CD97 in glioblastoma Dimitris Placantonakis Abstract "Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain malignancy. Several adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) have recently been shown to play critical roles in GBM biology. We showed that CD97 (ADGRE5), in particular, drives tumor growth via effects on GBM stem cell self-renewal and metabolism, but also has a therapeutically favorable expression pattern: it is highly expressed in all GBM specimens, but is absent from healthy brain tissue. To exploit this expression profile, we have developed antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting CD97, by screening a synthetic human antibody library. We initially tested the ADC using in vitro WST-8 viability assays in human GBM cell lines and cell types that lack CD97. We observed significantly lower LD50 values in patient-derived and U87 GBM cell cultures vs. CD97-lacking cells. We also found significantly lower LD50 values when treating human GBM cells with the ADC (0.6788 nM), as compared to control ADC targeting RSV glycoprotein F (19.964 nM). In vivo intratumoral administration of the ADC in patient-derived GBM xenografts in the brain of immunodeficient mice resulted in significant reduction of tumor growth and prolongation of survival of host mice. Collectively, these data suggest that ADCs targeting CD97 impair tumor growth in preclinical GBM models and are promising candidates for future clinical trials." Authors & Affiliations "Groff, Karenna; Donaldson, Hayley; Anderson, Sebastian; Pitti, Kiran; Wang, Shuai; Park, Christopher; Hattori, Takamitsu; Koide, Shohei; Placantonakis, Dimitris New York University Grossman School of Medicine" About Dimitris Placantonakis "Dimitris Placantonakis is a neurosurgeon-scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York. As a clinician, he specializes in surgical treatment of brain tumors. His laboratory studies oncogenesis in glioblastoma, the most common brain malignancy, and chromatin organization in human neural development. His group has been particularly interested in the role adhesion GPCRs play in glioblastoma biology and their therapeutic targeting." Dimitris Placantonakis on the web Placantonakis Lab Google Scholar LinkedIn Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor latrophilin-3 (ADGRL3) modulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission Nicole Perry-Hauser Abstract Only available for AGPCR 24 Attendees Authors & Affiliations "Nicole A. Perry-Hauser1,2, Arturo Torres Herraez1,2, Dan Lowes1,2, Ying Zhu1,2, Siham Boumhaouad1,3, Eugene V. Mosharov1,2,4, David Sulzer1,2,4, Christoph Kellendonk1,2, and Jonathan A. Javitch1,2 1Departments of Psychiatry and Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032; 2Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032; 3 Physiology and Physiopathology, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University, Rabat 1014, Morocco; 4Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032" About Nicole Perry-Hauser "I am an associate research scientist 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. I initially became interested in GPCR signal transduction during my graduate training in the Department of Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University where I studied under the co-mentorship of Dr. Vsevolod V. Gurevich and Dr. Tina M. Iverson. I then pursued a postdoctoral research position under the mentorship of Dr. Jonathan A. Javitch in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center." Nicole Perry-Hauser on the web LinkedIn Research Gate Pubmed Dr. GPCR < Previous Session Next Session >

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Martin Audet About Dr. Martin Audet Structural biologist, pharmacologist, and a professor of pharmacology at Université de Sherbrooke. He is the head of the AudetLab located at the Institute of Pharmacology of Sherbrooke and is an emerging leader in the structural biology of G Protein-Coupled Receptors and passive transporters. Strong education with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in biochemistry under the supervision of Michel Bouvier at Université de Montréal, followed by a Postdoctoral Fellow at Scripps Research in San Diego and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles as a member of Raymond Stevens group. Dr. Martin Audet on the web LinkedIn Twitter Sherbrooke University Google Scholar Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. 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 Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Bryan Roth About this episode Dr. Bryan Roth is the Michael Hooker Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine. After receiving his MD and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from St. Louis University in 1983, he subsequently trained in pharmacology (NIH), molecular biology, and psychiatry at Stanford. Bryan leads a $26.9 Million project to create better psychiatric medications, among other things. But, it wasn’t always this way. Bryan got fascinated with receptors after attending the lecture of a visiting professor on neurotransmission while in college in Montana, where he is from. He was determined to work on psychiatric disorders and persevered even when he was told several times he would never make it as a basic scientist and would never publish anything important. Join me and learn more about Bryan and his work. Dr. Bryan Roth on the web UNC School of Medicine / Pharmacology Roth Lab Roth Leads $26.9 Million Project to Create Better Psychiatric Medications LinkedIn Bryan Roth on Twitter Roth Lab on Twitter Google Scholar Pubmed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

< Back This is a Title 01 This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. You can create as many collections as you need. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own, or import content from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, videos and more. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Preview your site to check that all your elements are displaying content from the right collection fields. Previous Next GPCR Articles News Get in Touch Menu • Home • Services • About Menu • Home • Services • About Menu • Home • Services • About Menu • Home • Services • About Menu • Home • Services • About

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Juan José Fung About Dr. Juan José Fung Dr. Juan José Fung is a Principal Scientist at GPCR Therapeutics, Inc , a drug discovery company focused on targeting GPCR heteromers in cancer, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, with an R&D facility in the SF Bay Area. Dr. Fung received his Ph.D. from the Stanford University School of Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Brian Kobilka , studying the dimerization of GPCRs. Dr. Fung continued his Postdoctoral training in Dr. Kobilka’s lab contributing to the elucidation of high-resolution structures of various GPCRs. Dr. Fung has spent significant time in the industry studying membrane proteins, antibodies, and HTS methods for drug discovery. His current work is mainly focused on screening and assay development to bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo GPCR pharmacology. Dr. Juan José Fung on the web LinkedIn GPCR Therapeutics Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

< Back This is a Title 03 This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. You can create as many collections as you need. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own, or import content from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, videos and more. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Preview your site to check that all your elements are displaying content from the right collection fields. Previous Next GPCR Articles News Get in Touch Menu • Home • Services • About Menu • Home • Services • About Menu • Home • Services • About Menu • Home • Services • About Menu • Home • Services • About

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

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

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. 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. Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

Full Agenda Adhesion GPCR workshop 2024 CINVESTAV, Mexico City, Mexico October 23-25 Download PDF Program HERE < Back to Full Agenda Registration & Coffee with light breakfast < Previous Session Next Session >

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz About this episode It was December 14th, 2020, 1:50 pm, when I turned on my laptop and signed into Zoom for my chat with Bob. Bob, who, you might ask? Well, it’s the one and only Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D., 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which he shared with Dr. Brian Kobilka . Bob doesn’t really need an introduction since his reputation precedes him. Before we pressed record, I asked if I could call him Bob, and he answered that only his mom used to call him Robert, especially when she was upset with him. I then pressed record, and we chatted for almost 2h about Bob’s career, discoveries, difficulties (yes, he’s had some too), Nobel week, and his memoir that he just published in collaboration with Dr. Randy Hall. Bob is James B. Duke Professor of Medicine and Professor of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Pathology at the Duke University Medical Center. He began his career in the late 1960s and has been an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 1976. His legacy lies in the numerous discoveries he and his team made in the GPCR field and in all those who trained in his laboratory and went on to pursue stellar scientific careers. I very much enjoyed chatting with Bob, and I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about him as well. Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz on the web A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm: The Adrenaline-Fueled Adventures of an Accidental Scientist Duke University Wikipedia Nobel Prize HHMI Lefkowitz Lab Google Scholar Pubmed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Dr. Ralf Jockers About Dr. Ralf Jockers Ralf Jockers studied in Cologne and received a Ph.D. in biotechnology and biochemistry from the University of Braunschweig, Germany. For postdoctoral training, he joined the laboratory of Dr. Strosberg AD in France, where he worked on the regulation of ß-adrenergic receptors. He is the Research director at INSERM with a specific interest in G protein-coupled receptors by developing original BRET and TR-FRET assays. His laboratory is currently located at the Institute Cochin – Inserm (Paris, France). His laboratory was among the first to demonstrate the oligomerization of GPCRs. He showed the formation of melatonin receptor heteromers in vitro and in vivo and their importance in retinal physiology. He established the concept of ligand-independent functions of orphan receptors in heterodimers with other GPCRs. He discovered multiple rare and loss-of-function variants of the MT2 melatonin receptors that are associated with type 2 diabetes (TD2) development. Many MT2 variants are biased and their defects are signaling pathway-specific opening new perspectives for T2D treatment and precision medicine. His lab was among the first to discover mitochondrial functions of GPCRs. He was the director of the French network of GPCRs (GDR-3545), currently directs the International Research Network (IRN) i-GPCRnet of the CNRS, is chair of IUPHAR « Melatonin receptor » sub-committee, Editor-in-Chief of « Frontiers in Cellular Endocrinology » and AE of « J Pineal Research”. He is a highly cited researcher – 2019 and 2020 identified by Clarivate Web of Science ™. Dr. Ralf Jockers on the web Jockers Lab WGDR-3545 Pubmed Dr. GPCR Ecosystem Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

Chemical biologist Johannes Broichhagen reveals how fluorescent probes transform GPCR imaging, internalization studies, and assay development in live cells and tissues. << Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Chemical Probes for GPCR Imaging and Internalization with Dr. Johannes Broichhagen In this episode of The Dr. GPCR Podcast, chemical biologist Dr. Johannes Broichhagen shares how his lab builds next-generation fluorescent probes to visualize GPCRs with precision. From the early days of ion channel chemistry to pioneering peptide–fluorophore conjugates for the GLP-1 receptor, JB breaks down the strategic decisions that shaped these tools—and why reliable chemical probes are transforming GPCR drug discovery . He explains what chemical design can solve that antibodies can’t, how to validate functional assay systems, and why fluorescence-based assays paired with careful synthetic planning open doors for both high-resolution imaging and high-throughput screening . You will walk away with a deeper understanding of GPCR internalization, probe specificity, and the cross-disciplinary habits that make collaborations actually work. Why this matters How a chemist with zero biology training became a leader in GPCR probe design. Why peptide-based fluorescent ligands succeeded where antibodies repeatedly failed. What actually happened the moment JB and collaborators imaged an entire pancreatic islet in one shot. How parallel synthesis and side-by-side functional assays accelerate probe optimization and reduce false leads. Why targeting the pharmacologically relevant surface-exposed receptor pool changes the way scientists interpret GPCR trafficking. The moment when super-resolution imaging revealed nanoscale receptor domains that conventional tools completely missed. Who should listen If you’ve ever: Navigated a project where the biology refused to match the textbook mechanism. Balanced creativity in tool development with the pressure for reproducible, publication-grade data. Tried to build assays that behave in living cells—not just on paper. Collaborated across chemistry and biology and felt the translation gap firsthand… …this episode will resonate. About Johannes Broichhagen Dr. Johannes Broichhagen is a chemical biologist whose work sits at the intersection of organic synthesis, peptide chemistry, and advanced imaging. Born in 1984, he studied chemistry at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (2004–2010) and completed his doctorate at LMU Munich in 2014 . His postdoctoral training included research at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (2015–2016) and later at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, where he served as both postdoc and departmental group leader (2017–2020). These years shaped his interest in ion channels, GPCR pharmacology, and the chemical strategies needed to probe complex biology. Since 2020, JB has led his research group at the Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) in Berlin, focusing on developing fluorescent chemical tools to visualize GPCRs and other cell-surface proteins with high specificity. His lab integrates synthetic chemistry, theoretical chemistry, cell biology, and imaging to understand receptor organization and dynamics across cells, tissues, and intact organisms. Curiosity, collaboration, and a love of translating chemical concepts into biological insight drive his scientific mission. Johannes Broichhagen on the Web LinkedIn Google Scholar Lab Website Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) Profile Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

<< Back to podcast list Strategic Partner(s) Empowering Drug Discovery for the GPCR Community with Dr. Justin English About Dr. Justin English "Dr. English earned his PhD at UNC Chapel Hill in the laboratory of Dr. Henrik Dohlman and performed his postdoctoral work with Dr. Bryan Roth at the same University. We moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in 2020 to begin his own laboratory in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Utah School of Medicine. His lab focuses on developing and innovating technologies to solve broad questions in pharmacology, with a specific focus on G-protein coupled receptor signaling and biology." Dr. Justin English on the web The English Lab University of Utah Google Scholar LinkedIn Dr. GPCR Enjoying the Dr. GPCR Podcast? Leave a Review. Leave a quick review to help more scientists find the show—and help us keep improving every episode. It takes <60 seconds and makes a big difference. ★ Review on Apple Podcasts ★ Rate on Spotify ✉️ Send feedback to the team Recent Podcast Articles Asking Better Questions in Science: A Practical Guide for Emerging Researchers When the Islet Lit Up: Advancing GPCR Imaging in Native Tissue How Collaboration Sparked a GPCR Imaging Breakthrough in Chemical Biology Thanks for listening to this podcast episode Follow us on your favorite Podcast Player << Previous Podcast Episode Next Podcast Episode >>

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

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