New paradigm of GPCR signalling at intracellular sites in metabolic diseases

Career overview

Professor Davide Calebiro studied Medicine in Milan and Stockholm, obtaining a Clinical Specialization in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases as well as a PhD in Molecular Medicine from the University of Milan. From 2009 to 2018, he led a research group at the Institute of Pharmacology and Bio-Imaging Center of Würzburg University, Germany. He joined the University of Birmingham in 2017, supported by a Birmingham Professorial Fellowship. In 2018, he was awarded a prestigious Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship. Professor Calebiro is the Head of the Department of Metabolism and Systems Science and a Professor of Molecular Endocrinology. He is also a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE) at the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham. His research team is multidisciplinary, comprising biologists, chemists, physicists, engineers, and computer scientists, focusing on G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling and its alterations in endocrine and metabolic diseases. His major scientific contributions include the discovery that GPCRs are active not only at the plasma membrane but also at intracellular sites, and that these receptors form dynamic nanodomains at the plasma membrane. He has published 80 research papers in prestigious scientific journals and serves on multiple panels and committees, including the Programme Committee of the Society for Endocrinology and the MRC Molecular & Cellular Medicine Board.

Research interests

Professor Davide Calebiro''s research focuses on the basic mechanisms of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling and their alterations in endocrine and metabolic diseases. He leads a multidisciplinary team that develops and employs innovative optical methods, such as FRET and single-molecule microscopy, to directly observe signalling events in living cells with high spatiotemporal resolution. His significant contributions include the discovery that GPCRs are active not only at the plasma membrane but also at intracellular sites, and that these receptors form dynamic nanodomains by interacting with each other and other membrane proteins. The research aims to advance understanding of GPCR signalling mechanisms to develop innovative pharmacological therapies for endocrine and metabolic diseases. The group also investigates genetic alterations in GPCR signalling, identifying genetic causes of diseases such as cortisol-secreting adrenocortical adenomas.

Prof Stephen Hill's profile is coming soon

Career overview

Professor Gareth G Lavery is a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow and leads the Molecular Metabolism Research Group (MMRG) at the University of Birmingham. He completed his PhD training at the University of Birmingham in 2003, focusing on the genetic and molecular aspects of glucocorticoid metabolism and its relationship with blood pressure under the supervision of Professor Paul Stewart. In 2002, he moved to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, where he worked with Professor Keith Parker to identify a novel mechanism for redox regulated glucocorticoid action, creating a series of animal models that elucidated the tissue-specific properties of glucocorticoid regulated metabolism. In 2009, Professor Lavery was awarded a BBSRC David Philips Career Development Fellowship and joined the Centre for Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism in Birmingham. During this time, he advanced his research on how redox regulated glucocorticoid action influences metabolic energy homeostasis, defining the genetic basis of syndromes related to cortisone reductase deficiency and mechanisms by which glucocorticoids exert their effects in pathophysiological conditions. In 2014, he established the MMRG, aiming to understand the integration of nutrients, exercise, and hormones in controlling metabolism, and to identify therapeutic strategies to enhance metabolic health. His research focuses on the hormonal and nutritional mediators of metabolism, particularly in the context of exercise and ageing, with an emphasis on skeletal muscle. The MMRG employs a range of technologies for metabolic analysis, including in vitro and in vivo metabolic tracing, mitochondrial analysis, and rodent genetic models. Professor Lavery is also actively involved in various committees, including the Metabolism and Systems Science Executive and Research Committee, and serves on the editorial board of the journal ''Endocrinology''. His work is supported by multiple funding bodies, including the Wellcome Trust and the MRC.

Research interests

Professor Lavery''s research focuses on the mechanisms by which hormones, nutrients, and exercise interact to impact metabolic pathways that influence basal and adaptive physiology in health and disease. He leads the Molecular Metabolism Research Group (MMRG), which aims to define the mechanisms by which nutrients, exercise, and hormones integrate to control whole-body and tissue-specific metabolism. The group is particularly interested in skeletal muscle metabolism and function, as well as the regulation of NAD+ metabolism during ageing and exercise. They utilise a range of technologies, including in vitro and in vivo metabolic tracing, mitochondrial analysis, and rodent genetic models, to understand systemic and tissue-specific nutrient and energy metabolism. The MMRG is also focused on identifying therapeutic strategies to enhance metabolic health and reduce the incidence of age-related metabolic diseases. Current projects include glucocorticoid regulation of muscle metabolism, NAD+ therapy in human ageing and disease, and the impact of redox regulated glucocorticoid action on metabolic energy homeostasis.