From Curiosity to Breakthrough: Ajay Yekkirala on GPCR Innovation | Dr. GPCR Podcast #173

What if a failed med school plan led to a biotech breakthrough?Ajay Yekkirala shares how GPCRs, AI, and scientific curiosity are reshaping pain therapeutics — and what it really takes to build better medicines.Watch the video version of this podcast episode: What if a failed med school plan led to a biotech breakthrough?Ajay Yekkirala shares how GPCRs, AI, and scientific curiosity are reshaping pain therapeutics — and what it really takes to build better medicines.Watch the video version of this podcast episode: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/from-curiosity-to-breakthrough-ajay-yekkirala-on-gpcr-innovation

When fentanyl slows your breath and xylazine traps it, the clock starts ticking.PhD candidate Catherine Demery takes us inside her fight to understand how fentanyl and xylazine shut down breathing in different ways—work that blends GPCR pharmacology, animal models, and real-time street data to combat the opioid crisis.Watch the video version of this podcast episode: Ep 172 with Catherine Demery

When fentanyl slows your breath and xylazine traps it, the clock starts ticking.PhD candidate Catherine Demery takes us inside her fight to understand how fentanyl and xylazine shut down breathing in different ways—work that blends GPCR pharmacology, animal models, and real-time street data to combat the opioid crisis.Watch the video version of this podcast episode: Ep 172 with Catherine Demery

Watch the video version of this podcast episode.https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/ep-171-with-alessandro-nicoli---------------------------------Become a #DrGPCR Ecosystem Member---------------------------------Imagine a world in which the vast majority of us are healthy.The #DrGPCR Ecosystem is all about dynamic interactions between us working towards exploiting the druggability of #GPCRs. We aspire to provide opportunities to connect, share, form trusting partnerships, grow, and thrive together.---------------------------------To build our #GPCR Ecosystem, we created various enabling outlets.Premium YearlyPremium Yearly for TeamsDeveloping CountriesAre you a #GPCR professional?Subscribe to the Classified GPCR Weekly NewsListen and subscribe to #DrGPCRPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Watch the video version of this podcast episode.https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/ep-170-with-dr-alex-serafini---------------------------------Become a #DrGPCR Ecosystem Member---------------------------------Imagine a world in which the vast majority of us are healthy.The #DrGPCR Ecosystem is all about dynamic interactions between us working towards exploiting the druggability of #GPCRs. We aspire to provide opportunities to connect, share, form trusting partnerships, grow, and thrive together.---------------------------------To build our #GPCR Ecosystem, we created various enabling outlets.Premium YearlyPremium Yearly for TeamsDeveloping CountriesAre you a #GPCR professional?Subscribe to the Classified GPCR Weekly NewsListen and subscribe to #DrGPCRPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Watch the video version of this podcast episode.https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/ep-169-with-dr-sokhom-pin---------------------------------Become a #DrGPCR Ecosystem Member---------------------------------Imagine a world in which the vast majority of us are healthy.The #DrGPCR Ecosystem is all about dynamic interactions between us working towards exploiting the druggability of #GPCRs. We aspire to provide opportunities to connect, share, form trusting partnerships, grow, and thrive together.---------------------------------To build our #GPCR Ecosystem, we created various enabling outlets.Premium YearlyPremium Yearly for TeamsDeveloping CountriesAre you a #GPCR professional?Subscribe to the Classified GPCR Weekly NewsListen and subscribe to #DrGPCRPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Watch the video version of this podcast episode:https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/ep-168-with-dr.-maria-majellaro-from-celtarysVisit Celtarys' website in the Ecosystem: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/celtarys-research-dr-gpcr-ecosystemRead the DrGPCR x Celtarys Partnership Press Release: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/post/dr-gpcr-and-celtarys-research-join-forces-to-expand-access-to-innovative-gpcr-toolsLearn more about Celtarys Research: https://www.celtarys.com/---------------------------------Become a #DrGPCR Ecosystem Member---------------------------------Imagine a world in which the vast majority of us are healthy.The #DrGPCR Ecosystem is all about dynamic interactions between us working towards exploiting the druggability of #GPCRs. We aspire to provide opportunities to connect, share, form trusting partnerships, grow, and thrive together.---------------------------------To build our #GPCR Ecosystem, we created various enabling outlets.Premium YearlyPremium Yearly for TeamsDeveloping CountriesAre you a #GPCR professional?Subscribe to the Classified GPCR Weekly NewsListen and subscribe to #DrGPCRPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Watch the video version of this podcast episode.https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/ep-167-with-tom-sakmar-%26-ilana-kotliar---------------------------------Become a #DrGPCR Ecosystem Member---------------------------------Imagine a world in which the vast majority of us are healthy.The #DrGPCR Ecosystem is all about dynamic interactions between us working towards exploiting the druggability of #GPCRs. We aspire to provide opportunities to connect, share, form trusting partnerships, grow, and thrive together.---------------------------------To build our #GPCR Ecosystem, we created various enabling outlets.Premium YearlyPremium Yearly for TeamsDeveloping CountriesAre you a #GPCR professional?Subscribe to the Classified GPCR Weekly NewsListen and subscribe to #DrGPCRPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode 166 of the Dr. GPCR Podcast features Benjamin Clements, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, who brings fresh insight into the therapeutic promise of GPCRs — particularly in the context of opioid pharmacology. With a background in pharmaceutical sciences and neuroscience, Ben now focuses on positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) targeting the mu-opioid receptor, aiming to preserve opioid analgesia while reducing harmful side effects like respiratory depression and addiction.In this episode, Ben and Dr. Yamina Berchiche discuss how a passion for translational science led him to investigate chronic pain models, including neuromas, where opioids traditionally fail. His lab’s preliminary findings — including a tenfold improvement in methadone efficacy — highlight the potential of GPCR-targeted allosteric modulators to change the treatment landscape for intractable pain conditions. These discoveries are the result of collaborative, curiosity-driven science in a lab culture that values both rigor and levity.Ben also shares his perspective on learning “old-school” assays like radioligand binding and GTPγS, emphasizing their enduring value even amid advanced high-throughput techniques. The conversation touches on mentorship, imposter syndrome, and the critical importance of creating space for new voices in the GPCR field. As Ben puts it:“Academia is all about knowing when to walk and when to run.”This episode is a powerful reminder of the role that early-career scientists play in shaping the future of GPCR drug discovery — blending pharmacological fundamentals with bold experimentation and a deep commitment to patient-centered science.Watch the complete episode at: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/ep-166-with-ben-clements---------------------------------Become a #DrGPCR Ecosystem Member---------------------------------Imagine a world in which the vast majority of us are healthy.The #DrGPCR Ecosystem is all about dynamic interactions between us working towards exploiting the druggability of #GPCRs. We aspire to provide opportunities to connect, share, form trusting partnerships, grow, and thrive together.---------------------------------To build our #GPCR Ecosystem, we created various enabling outlets.Premium YearlyPremium Yearly for TeamsDeveloping CountriesAre you a #GPCR professional?Subscribe to the Classified GPCR Weekly NewsListen and subscribe to #DrGPCRPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of the Dr. GPCR Podcast, we step outside the lab to talk about what keeps research-driven organizations running behind the scenes: finance and operations. Yamina Berchiche is joined by Joe St. Germain and Chuck DeWeese from Company Launch Partners to discuss the real-world challenges of building startups and nonprofits—including Dr. GPCR itself. Joe shares his leap from corporate finance to launching a firm that supports early-stage ventures, while Chuck explains his journey from sales to becoming the behind-the-scenes problem-solver for mission-driven organizations.What emerges is a compelling conversation about how science and finance are more similar than we think. Chuck and Joe explain how reconciling financial data mirrors the satisfaction of solving scientific puzzles. They also dive into the unique hurdles of accounting for grants, setting up sustainable financial systems, and choosing clients whose values align with their own. The episode bridges two traditionally separate worlds—science and business—by highlighting their shared reliance on structure, integrity, and impact.At its core, the episode is about building things that last—with the right people. From hiring based on character and teachability to growing teams organically through trust and mentorship, Joe and Chuck share lessons that resonate far beyond finance. Whether you’re a GPCR scientist applying for a grant or a founder navigating early growth, this conversation is a powerful reminder that success is never solo—it’s built on relationships, purpose, and a clear sense of mission.Watch the complete episode at: https://www.ecosystem.drgpcr.com/dr-gpcr-podcast/ep-165-with-chuckdeweese-joestgermain