News Highlights
Dr. John Hepler Elected as 2023 ASPET Fellow
Congratulations to Dr. John Hepler for his election as a Fellow of ASPET! It is a well deserved recognition of his remarkable accomplishments in pharmacology.
Selection as a fellow of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (FASPET) is an honor bestowed on ASPET members who have demonstrated excellence via their overall contributions to pharmacology and the Society.
Pharmacology and Chemical Biology Faculty recognized during SOM 2023 Celebration of Faculty Eminence
The 2023 Celebration of Faculty Eminence event recognizes some of Emory University’s most esteemed faculty members—those newly named to endowed and non-endowed professorships from last year—while engaging the donors who make many of these coveted positions possible through their philanthropy.
Patgiri Lab’s Collaborative Project Published in Human Molecular Genetics
Congratulations to the Patgiri lab for their recent publication in Human Molecular Genetics.
Dr. Raymond Dingledine Received the 2023 Axelrod Prize
Dr. Raymond Dingledine, Professor and former chair of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, received the 2023 Axelrod Prize (shared with Mark Bear, MIT) from the Society for Neuroscience.
Dr. Dingledine is a pioneer in the pharmacology of glutamate receptors. He demonstrated that glycine, in addition to glutamate, is required for NMDA receptor activation and coined the term “coagonists” to describe the novel relationship between the two neurotransmitters. He also revealed multiple mechanisms by which properties of postsynaptic glutamatergic receptors are regulated, including the determinants of their calcium permeability. Dingledine has frequently adapted and incorporated new techniques and technologies to address key questions. Early in his career he helped develop electrophysiological recordings from thin hippocampal slices, and his lab was the first to express NMDA receptors in frog oocytes for quantitative pharmacology analysis. His recent work is focused on seizure-induced neuroinflammation, which has strong potential for clinical translation. He and his colleagues demonstrated a profound role for EP2 receptor activation by prostaglandin E2 in neuropathologies caused by upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2. He cofounded the Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center as well as two biotechnology companies working to develop treatments for cerebral ischemia and neuroinflammation. In addition to his rigorous scientific work, Dingledine has been fortunate to mentor outstanding students and postdoctoral researchers. He has trained over 60 scientists, most of whom have gone on to highly successful careers in academia, industry, or government. His trainees are inspired by the collaborative atmosphere he fosters and his commitment to applying quantitative, measurable, and objective criteria to describe results and analyze scientific data.
Dr. Dingledine cofounded the Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center as well as two biotechnology companies working to develop treatments for cerebral ischemia and neuroinflammation. In addition to his rigorous scientific work, Dingledine has been fortunate to mentor outstanding students and postdoctoral researchers. He has trained over 60 scientists, most of whom have gone on to highly successful careers in academia, industry, or government. His trainees are inspired by the collaborative atmosphere he fosters and his commitment to applying quantitative, measurable, and objective criteria to describe results and analyze scientific data.
The Julius Axelrod Prize honors scientists with distinguished achievements in the broad field of neuropharmacology or a related area and exemplary efforts in mentoring young scientists. The award is endowed by the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation and includes a $30,000 prize and travel to SfN’s annual meeting.
Dr. Randy Hall Received New NIH R21 Grant
September 2023: Dr. Randy Hall, Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, received a new NIH NINDS R21 award,“Disease-Associated Mutations and Ligand Activation of the Adhesion G Protein-Coupled Receptor ADGRB2”. This application received a top 1% score!
Dr. Renee Read Received Three NIH Grants
Renee Read, PhD, Associate Professor, received three recent NIH grants:
NINDS R01: "Verteporfin as a YAP/TAZ inhibitor for treatment of glioblastoma" (PI: Read)
NINDS R21: "Human Organoid Models for Pediatric High-Grade Gliomas" (PI: Read)
NINDS R01: "Macrophage-targeted lncRNA-regulating nanoparticles for glioblastoma treatment" (PI: Nduom, Co-PI: Read)
Dr. Yona Levites Selected for 2023 SOM Researcher Appreciation Day
September 2023: Dr. Yona Levites was selected for the 2023 Emory Researcher Appreciation Day. She is a standout researcher who studies neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer's Disease. Her work has shed light on how protein misfolding can lead to neuronal death, and how this process can be blocked to protect the brain.
Dr. Jae Won Chang Awarded NIH GM R35 MIRA Grant
August 2023: Dr. Jae Won Chang was awarded an NIH GM R35 MIRA grant to discover novel small molecule degraders to advance cancer drug discovery
Dr. Chang is Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology and Hematology and Medical Oncology. With his NIH supported research program, he will explore innovative chemical biology approaches to discover novel small molecule degraders with the potential to expand the repertoire of E3 ligases to guide potent warheads to specifically destroy cancer causing proteins for a wide range of tumors. The award will provide $1.94 million dollars over five years. The title of his MIRA grant is “Chemical Proteomics Approach to Discover Novel Small Molecule E3 Ligase recruiters for Targeted Protein degradation (TPD).”
Dr. Michael Kuhar Received SOM Scientific Integrity Award
August 2023: Dr. Michael Kuhar, Research Professor at Emory National Primate Research Center, Candler Professor of Neuropharmacology, and Senior Fellow in the Center for Ethics at Emory, received the Emory University School of Medicine Scientific Integrity Award. The award was established by the School of Medicine Recognitions Committee on behalf of the Dean to recognize faculty who have made significant contributions to the promotion of scientific integrity at Emory.
Dr. Lian Li Received Two Grants, R01 and R21
August 2023: Congratulations to Dr. Lian Li, Professor and Vice Chair, Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, for two recent NIH grants:
R21: "Molecular analysis of SORL1 function and dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease"
R01: "Sialoglycoproteomic network and target discovery for Alzheimer's disease"
Drs. Hongjie Yuan and Steven Liang Received Emory SOM (I3) Nexus Research Award
June 2023: Congratulations to Drs. Hongjie Yuan, Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, and Dr. Steven Liang, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Winship Cancer Institute, for receiving the 2023 Emory School of Medicine Dean’s IMAGINE, INNOVATE, AND IMPACT (I3) award.
Dr. Tom Kukar Awarded Tenure
June 2023: Congratulations to Dr. Tom Kukar for his recent tenure in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology effective September 1, 2023. Dr. Kukar is recognized for major contributions to understanding the mechanisms that cause neurodegeneration in Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Dr. John Hepler Selected for 2023 Educator Appreciation Day
May 2023: Dr. John Hepler is an exceptional educator in addition to being a stellar scholar. He is beloved by Emory students for his classroom teaching and revered by the junior researchers he mentors in his laboratory. Dr. Hepler is also an education leader, chairing his department’s Education Committee and directing multiple courses.
In recognition of Educator Appreciation Day, the Recognitions Committee at Emory School of Medicine sent out a call for nominations for educators across the school who go above and beyond the call of duty as teachers and mentors. Emory educators were nominated by their peers and colleagues for their passion and skills to educate, encourage, and support scholars and learners across the university.
Pharmacology and Chemical Biology Welcomes Dr. Tyler Beyett
May 2023: Pharmacology and Chemical Biology welcomes Dr. Tyler Beyett as an assistant professor. Dr. Beyett will start at Emory May 1, 2023. He will also be a member of the Winship Cancer Institute.
Dr. Beyett obtained his PhD from the University of Michigan and is currently a postdoc at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. His lab will primarily focus on the discovery and development of small molecule therapeutics targeting kinases in cancer.
Dr. Michael Kuhar Publishes Second Edition of The Addicted Brain
April 2023: Dr. Michael J. Kuhar published, "The Addicted Brain: Why We Abuse Drugs, Alcohol, and Nicotine." In this second edition of The Addicted Brain, leading neuroscientist Michael Kuhar, Ph.D., explains how and why addiction happens.
George Painter Honored by Emory President
March 2023: Dr. George Painter was honored by Emory president Gregory Fenves and Carmel Fenves at their Lullwater House. This celebration event was to “toast George and recognize his many accomplishments at Emory”.
Dr. Thota Ganesh Receives ASPET Scientific Achievement Award in Drug Discovery and Development
February 2023: The ASPET Division for Drug Discovery and Development is pleased to award Dr. Thota Ganesh from Emory University the 2023 Scientific Achievement Award in Drug Discovery and Development. This award recognizes outstanding investigators that have made significant contributions in drug discovery, translational and/or drug development science.
