Heritage of the
CWRU
Department of
Pharmacology
Earl W. Sutherland, Jr
Discovery of Cyclic AMP
Ferid Murad
Nitric Oxide Signaling
Nobel Prize
Alfred G. Gilman
G-protein Signal Transduction
Continuing Tradition of Excellence in Pharmacology at CWRU
First high resolution
structure of a G-protein
coupled receptor (GPCR)
• most common target of
modern drug development
In the top five of most
highly cited articles in
Biology / Biochemistry
Thomas Reuters Survey
Kris Palczewski,
Chairman of
Pharmacology
Molecular Therapeutics
Training Program ( MTTP )
Membrane
Translational
Structural Biology
Therapeutics
&
Pharmacology
The NIH-funded Molecular Therapeutics
Training Program (MTTP) involves faculty
from six major research
centers in Cleveland
Cellular /
- CWRU, UniversityMolecular
Hospitals, Case
BiologyCenter,
&
Comprehensive Cancer
Cleveland
Research
Clinic Foundation, Cleveland
VA Medical
Rotations
Center, and MetroHealth Medical Center.
Students enter the Pharmacology Graduate
Program directly, or via the Biomedical
Molecular
Sciences Training Program (BSTP)Pharmacology
or the
Cancer Sciences Training Program (MSTP).
Medical
& Cell
Therapeutics
Regulation
Core and
Advanced
Tracks
The MTTP provides students with outstanding training in the
cellular, molecular, and physiological basis for therapeutics,
preparing them for independent careers in research and
teaching in a variety of academic or industrial settings.
Molecular Therapeutics
Training Program ( MTTP )
Membrane
Structural Biology
&
Pharmacology
Translational
Therapeutics
The Molecular Pharmacology and
Cellular RegulationTrack
promotes
Cellular /
common research
interests in
Molecular
Biology &of drug actions
molecular mechanisms
Research that are
and regulatory processes
potential targets Rotations
for drug development.
Cancer
Therapeutics
Core and
Advanced
Tracks
Molecular
Pharmacology
& Cell
Regulation
The MTTP provides students with outstanding training in the
cellular, molecular, and physiological basis for therapeutics,
preparing them for independent careers in research and
teaching in a variety of academic or industrial settings.
Molecular Pharmacology and Cellular Regulation Track
Andrea Boyd-Tressler and George Dubyak
• Novel role of ATP as a chemoattractant that facilitates
the immune component of the anti-tumor response
associated with cancer chemotherapy …
Luke Bury
and
Shasta Sabo
• Modern electrophysiology and imaging used to discover
the mechanisms by which nerve synapses are formed in
the developing brain - discovering the basis for autism …
Meghana Gupta
and
Danny Manor
• Learning how phosphorylation of tyrosine residues affects the
biochemical and physiological activities of proteins that regulate
G-protein signaling – discovering anti-cancer targets …
Molecular Therapeutics
Training Program ( MTTP )
Membrane
Structural Biology
&
Pharmacology
Translational
Therapeutics
Benefiting from the Case Comprehensive
Cellular
/
Cancer Center,
the Cancer
Therapeutics
Track fosters Molecular
common interest in the
Biology &
concepts of cancer
biology that form the
Research
basis for specific
therapeutic strategies.
Rotations
Cancer
Therapeutics
Core and
Advanced
Tracks
Molecular
Pharmacology
& Cell
Regulation
The MTTP provides students with outstanding training in the
cellular, molecular, and physiological basis for therapeutics,
preparing them for independent careers in research and
teaching in a variety of academic or industrial settings.
Cancer Therapeutics Track
Chris Ryder
Clark Distelhorst
• Studies of mechanisms of regulation of lymphocyte
apoptosis via the TDAG8 G protein-coupled receptor in
the context of leukemia.…
MollyTaylor
Billl Schiemann
• “The role of the microenvironment in mediating breast
cancer progression. Specifically I'm interested in the role
of microRNAs on TGF-beta mediated-metastatic
progression…”
Molecular Therapeutics
Training Program ( MTTP )
Membrane
Structural Biology
&
Pharmacology
Translational
Therapeutics
The Translational Therapeutics Track
Cellular
/
interfaces basic
science
trainees with
Molecular
physician-scientists
Biology &around a common
interest in developing
Research / improving the
Rotations
use of therapeutic
agents in a rational
and individualized manner.
Cancer
Therapeutics
Core and
Advanced
Tracks
Molecular
Pharmacology
& Cell
Regulation
The MTTP provides students with outstanding training in the
cellular, molecular, and physiological basis for therapeutics,
preparing them for independent careers in research and
teaching in a variety of academic or industrial settings.
Translational Therapeutics Track
Michele Mumaw
Marvin Nieman
• Antiplatelet therapeutics…”my project examines an
agent that has ideal characteristics; it delays thrombosis
but does not influence bleeding time…”
Peter Levitt
Robert Bonomo
• Structure function studies of Class A beta-lactamases.
Understanding the factors that permit the successful
evolution of beta-lactamases in the clinic…
Amar Desai
Stan Gerson
• “I study the role of DNA repair in hematopoietic stem
cells to understand the relationship between DNA repair,
cell cycle status, and hematopoietic stem cell function.…”
Structural Biology & Pharmacology Track
…
Understanding the
function of telomerase in
DNA replication pertaining
to aging and cancer
chemotherapy
Mike Mullins
Derek Taylor
Studying the molecular
dynamics of Drp 1 in
mediating mitochondrial
fission & fusion pertinent to
neurodegenerative diseases
Jason Mears
Chris Francy
Determining the structure
of isolated discs from the
rod cells of the eyes of
mouse models of human
eye diseases
Neetu Gulati
Phoebe Stewart
Director, CCMSB
Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology
Center
for Membrane
Cleveland CenterCleveland
for Membrane
and Structural
Biology and
Structural Biolo
CCSMB is a joint venture between Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland
Clinic CCMSB is adminstratively overseen by the Department of Pharmacology
(http://ccmsb.case.edu)
Electron Microscopy
NMR
embrane and Structural Biology
Cleveland Center for Me
The Electron Microscopy facility features a high-end 200 kV cryo-electron
microscope for high-resolution imaging of single complexes and 2D crystals. A
120 kV EM is used for sample
screening
and conventional
imaging of
sections
The NMR
facility
is well equipped
with
state of the art
and negatively stained samples.
ranging from 600 to 900MHz. Two Bruker 600, an 800 and a
X-ray generator
Crystal robot
NMR instrumentat
900 MHz are equip
with cryogenic probes for solution NMR work. The 800MHz instrument can also
switched to solid state operation.
Mass spec, computational modeling, one of the 3 largest, best
equipped facilities in the world!