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Symposium 15: Regulation of localised signalling by G protein-coupled receptors

Tracks
Track 7
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
11:15 AM - 1:15 PM

Details

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) were traditionally viewed as plasma membrane delimited receptors, however, there is increasing evidence that these receptors can also signal from intracellular locations. Some receptors induce distinct responses at the plasma membrane compared to after their internalisation and trafficking to intracellular organelles such as the endosomal network and the Golgi apparatus. GPCRs can also exist at intracellular organelles in situ without first trafficking from the plasma membrane, where they initiate distinct cellular responses compared to stimulation of plasma membrane receptors. This spatial organisation of signalling is a mechanism that allows GPCRs to couple to a finite set of intracellular signalling pathways but initiate distinct cellular responses. This symposium will explore the latest knowledge in the regulation of sub-cellular cAMP signalling by GPCRs.


Speaker

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Prof Jin Zhang
University of California, San Diego

Spatial Compartmentation of GPCR Signaling

11:15 AM - 11:45 AM

Abstract

Biography

Dr. Jin Zhang received her Bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University and her PhD in Chemistry from University of Chicago in 2000. After completing her postdoctoral work in the laboratory of the late Roger Tsien at UC San Diego, she joined the faculty of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2003. She was promoted to Professor of Pharmacology in 2013. In 2015 she moved back to UC San Diego and is currently Professor and vice Chair in Department of Pharmacology. Research in her lab focuses on developing enabling technologies to probe the active molecules in their native environment and characterizing how these active molecules change in diseases including cancer. Dr Zhang is a recipient of the Biophysical Society Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award (2009), NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (2009), John J. Abel Award in Pharmacology (2012), Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry (2012), NCI Outstanding Investigator Award (2015 and 2022), Robert R. Ruffolo Career Achievement Award in Pharmacology (2022), Protein Society Christian B. Anfinsen Award (2022) and Biophysical Society Carolyn Cohen Innovation Award from (2023). She was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2014, a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 2019 and a Fellow of American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics in 2021. Dr. Zhang also received UC San Diego Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Scholar Mentoring in 2019 and UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Mentoring Award in 2022. She currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, on the External Advisory Board for Biophysics of the Johns Hopkins University and on the Basic Sciences External Advisory Council (BSEAC) of Vanderbilt University.
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Assoc Prof Roshanak Irannejad
University of California, San Francisco

Decoding the Spatial Dimensions of GPCR Signaling

11:45 AM - 12:15 PM

Abstract

Biography

Roshanak Irannejad holds a B.S. in Microbiology and an M.S. in Immunology from Shahid Beheshti university of Tehran, Iran. In 2010, she received her Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology, under the supervision of Dr. Phil Wedegaertner, at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the laboratory of Dr. Mark von Zastrow. She is currently an associate professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Cardiovascular Research Institute at UCSF. She pioneered the development of novel nanobody-based biosensors that allowed visualization of G protein and G protein-coupled receptor (GPCRs) signaling in living cells. Using these tools, her lab discovered that signaling cues to cells not only act on GPCRs that reside on the cell surface but also on those on subcellular compartments such as endosomes and the Golgi apparatus. These ideas have resulted in both changes in the conceptual framework of the field and have opened new avenues for development of more effective and selective therapeutic strategies. The overall goal of her lab is to understand the roles of organelle-based signaling and membrane trafficking events as two key steps in cellular responses to external cues. In addition, her lab seeks to understand the molecular and physiological consequences of subcellular signaling at each location, particularly in the context of regulating cardiac function. She has been the recipient of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) early career award in 2023.
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Prof Michel Bouvier
University of Montreal

Shining light on location bias of GPCR signalling and on its potential role in drug action

12:15 PM - 12:45 PM

Abstract

Biography

Michel Bouvier is a professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal (UdeM). He obtained his B.Sc. (1979) in biochemistry and his Ph.D. (1985) in Neurological Sciences at UdeM. Following a post-doctoral fellowship at Duke University (1985-1988), he became a professor of biochemistry at UdeM and has been the Chairman of the Department (1997-2005). He was IRIC CEO from 2014 to 2024. His work on G protein-coupled receptors significantly impacted our understanding of this important class of drug targets. He published 390 papers (h index 120) and delivered more than 500 invited conferences. His contributions were recognized by many awards including the Julius Axelrod Award from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (2017). He is a fellow the Royal Society of Canada and a knight of the National Order of Quebec.
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Mr Eric Le
Monash University

Temporal and spatial dynamics of SSTR2 and SSTR4 signalling

1:00 PM - 1:15 PM

Abstract

Biography

Eric Le is a PhD candidate at Monash University, studying how somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) traffic and signal in a cell. His research uses a combination of imaging and functional approaches to connect receptor behaviour with cellular outcomes, with the goal of informing more precise therapeutic strategies.

Session chair

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Michelle Halls
Monash University

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Yang Kevin Xiang
University Of California At Davis

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