Areas of Interest
We study the cell biology of GPCRs, focusing on opioid and related
receptors relevant to drug addiction. We test the exciting new idea
that signaling is "spatially encoded" in cells, i.e., that the same
drug/receptor pair can have different effects based simply on the
location in the cell from which it signals. We use innovative advanced
microscopy and molecular genetic techniques to study GPCR trafficking
and signaling in real time in living cells. The goal is to actively
engineer receptor location to specific sites in the cell and fine-tune
receptor physiology. This is a new and potentially transformative
approach to receptor pharmacology and drug development.
Honors & Awards
Dana Foundation Award, 2017-20
Curci Foundation Award, 2016-18
Newsmaker, The Pittsburgh Tribune, 2016
Editorial Board, Traffic, 2016-present
Editorial Board, Matters, 2015-present
Chair, Local Traffic Symposium, Pittsburgh, 2015-2017
Heinz Endowment Award, 2015-17
Winters Foundation Award, 2015-16
BrainHUB ProSEED Award, CMU, 2015-16
Keynote Speaker, CMINDS Annual Symposium, Penn State, 2015
Review Editor, Frontiers in Cell Biology, 2013-present
American Heart Association BGIA Award, 2013-15
Postdoctoral Association Invited Speaker, ETH, Zurich, 2013
Eberly Family Professorship, CMU, 2013
K99/R00 Pathway to Independence 2008
National Merit Scholar 1989
National Merit Fellow 1987
Credentials
Education:
MBBS, Calicut Medical College, India, 1996
Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 2004
Post-Doctoral Training:
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, University of California, San Francisco, 2005-2009
Published Articles or Reviews
Shiwarski DJ, Tipton A, Giraldo MD, Schmidt BF, Gold MS, Pradhan AA, Puthenveedu MA.
J Neurosci. 2017 Apr 5; 37(14):3741-3752.
Weinberg ZY, Zajac AS, Phan T, Shiwarski DJ, Puthenveedu MA.
Mol Pharmacol. 2017 Apr;91(4):416-427.
