Pharmacology Seminar Series: Aylin Hanyaloglu, Friday 13 November

Speaker: Aylin Hanyaloglu, Francis Crick Institue, Imperial College London
Series: Department of Pharmacology Seminar Series

Friday November 13, 2026, 12:15 - 13:15

Speaker: Aylin Hanyaloglu, Francis Crick Institute, Imperial College London

Talk Title: From molecules to medicine: decoding GPCR function across scales

Venue: Pharmacology Seminar Room

Abstract: Models of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling have shifted markedly in recent years. Rather than functioning solely as isolated receptors that activate defined G protein pathways at the plasma membrane, GPCRs are now understood to generate diverse signalling outputs that are regulated with remarkable spatial and temporal precision. This evolving view of the GPCR signalling landscape has provided new insight into disease-associated receptor dysfunction and revealed new possibilities for therapeutic targeting. This seminar will explore GPCR activity across scales, focusing on how receptor organisation in membrane complexes, and signalling from distinct cellular locations shape signalling and physiological outcomes. By considering GPCR function from molecular to cellular levels, I will discuss how spatial organisation contributes to signalling specificity and plasticity. I will also address how pharmacological manipulation of these spatial and temporal features may offer new avenues for modulating GPCR activity in disease.

Biography: Aylin is a Professor in Molecular Medicine where she has led a research group at Imperial since 2007, she is also Divisional Head and Director of the Institute of Reproductive Biology and a Satellite Group Leader at The Francis Crick Institute. She received her BSc in Human Biology from King’s College London, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Endocrinology from the University of Western Australia, via Edinburgh, undertaking postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco. Her research focuses on identifying fundamental mechanisms regulating activity of distinct G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) including, receptors central to Women’s Health, and nutrient sensing in the gut. Her group has uncovered molecular mechanisms to illustrate the critical role of receptor location and receptor crosstalk, which are applied to diverse physiological and pathophysiological systems, exploiting these cell signalling models to identify new therapeutic strategies.