BME 280B Seminar: Modulating Insulin Receptor Through New Ligands

Presenter: Danny Chou, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford University

Description: Since its discovery in 1921, insulin has been at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs. From its amino acid sequencing to the revelation of its three‐dimensional structure, the progress in insulin research has spurred significant therapeutic breakthroughs. In recent years, protein engineering has introduced innovative chemical and enzymatic methods for insulin modification, fostering the development of therapeutics with tailored pharmacological profiles. In this seminar, I will highlight the use of new ligands to modulate insulin receptors and discuss how they continue to shape the future trajectory of insulin research.

Bio: Danny Chou is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and by courtesy, of Chemical & Systems Biology at Stanford University. He is an affinity group leader at Stanford Diabetes Research Center. His research interests lie in the intersection of peptide therapeutics and metabolic diseases. He started his independent career as an assistant professor of biochemistry at University of Utah in 2014. He moved his lab to Stanford University in 2020 and continued their pursuit of using peptide and protein chemistry to develop therapeutics to address unmet needs. 

Hosted by: Professor Andy Yeh, BME Department