Welcome to the Smrcka Lab

Our laboratory studies mechanisms for cellular communication via G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). The GPCR superfamily includes receptors for adrenaline, serotonin, acetylcholine taste molecules, smell, and even light! They are the largest family of cell surface receptors and 30-40% of marketed drugs target GPCRs. Our laboratory uses a wide variety of methods to study the involvement of these receptors in physiology and disease. We provide a dynamic environment where trainees can gain experience in a wide repertoire of methods applied to important biological problems. Learn more »

THE LATEST:

June 2020: Gissell passed her qualifying exam. Congratulations!!

April 2020: Isaac’s paper was published in Structure.

December 2019: Wenhui passed her qualifying exam. Congratulations!!

October 2019: Isaac Fisher successfully defended his Ph.D. Thesis! Congratulations!!

September 2019: Congratulations Naincy for winning a “Best Poster” award at the Department of Pharmacology retreat.

August 2019: Craig and Wei’s cofirst author paper was published in eLife “Golgi localized b-adrenergic receptors stimulate Golgi PI4P hydrolysis by PLCe to regulate cardiac hypertrophy”

July 2019: Naincy was awarded the Pharmacology Centennial Fund Predoctoral Fellowship.

June 2019: Hoa was awarded the 2019 Upjohn Postdoctoral Fellowship.

April 2019: Tyler successfully passed his qualifying exam. Congratulations!