Endocrine Pharmacology

The body employs an array of hormones to regulate internal temperature, metabolism, growth, and responses to stress and injury. Research within Michigan Pharmacology investigates the mechanisms underlying: 1) The biogenesis of trafficking organelles and the synthesis, storage, and secretion of hormones from the adrenal medulla and endocrine pancreas; 2) Steroid biosynthesis, with an emphasis on the mechanistic enzymology of steroidogenic cytochrome P450s and dehydrogenases/reductases. The translational application of this research leverages our expertise in steroid mass spectrometry and use of multi-steroid panels to profile steroid hormones, precursors, and metabolite in a single assay; and, 3) Pulsatile insulin secretion from pancreatic islets and stimulus secretion coupling in pancreatic beta cell, with an emphasis on dysfunctional secretion in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Richard Auchus, Professor

RESEARCH FOCUS: Steroidogenesis; endocrinology; enzymology; cytochrome P450.

Richard Auchus, M.D., Ph.D.

Yuqing Eugene Chen, Professor

RESEARCH FOCUS: Cardiovascular medicine, molecular basis of diabetes/obesity-induced cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Yuqing Eugene Chen, M.D., Ph.D.

Michael Holinstat, Associate Professor

RESEARCH FOCUS: Platelets, Thrombosis, Hemostasis, Clotting, Lipids, Lipoxygenase, Clinical research, Translational research, 12-LOX.

Michael Holinstat, Ph.D.

David Lorberbaum, Assistant Professor

Research Focus: Molecular mechanisms underlying pancreas development and function; Diabetes; Cell signaling; Gene regulation/expression; Cell fate; Islet biology.

David Lorberbaum, Ph.D.

Leslie Satin, Professor

RESEARCH FOCUS: Cellular and molecular basis of Type 2 diabetes; ER stress and protein folding diseases; metabolic regulation of ion channel activity; optical methods; drug discovery in diabetes; synaptic transmission and metabolic health of neurons after brain trauma, models of cell function and signaling.

Leslie Satin, Ph.D.

Emily Scott, Professor

RESEARCH FOCUS: Structure/function of cytochrome P450 enzymes; drug metabolism; drug design.

Emily Scott, Ph.D.

Gregory Tall, Associate Professor

RESEARCH FOCUS: Heterotrimeric G protein Signaling, G protein folding chaperones, Mechanisms of Adhesion GPCR action, Somatic G protein disease mutations, GNAQ/11-driven uveal melanoma, High throughput screening and small molecule probe discovery.

Gregory Tall, Ph.D.