Dr. Samuel Gellman

Biography

Samuel Gellman is the Ralph F. Hirschmann Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research primarily focuses on the structural and functional characterization of novel biologically active analogues of glucagon and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Gellman's work aims to understand the molecular interactions between hormones and their cognate G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and how these interactions transmit signals within cells. His synthetic agonists for GLP-1 receptors have become widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Gellman's research was initially motivated by the goal of developing backbone-modified GLP-1 analogues that can maintain potent agonist activity while resisting degradation by proteases, which typically reduces GLP-1's half-life in the bloodstream to mere minutes. His pursuit of this objective has resulted in surprising discoveries regarding structural changes in agonists that lead to subtle alterations in receptor-mediated signal transduction. A significant aspect of his program involves understanding the phenomenon of biased agonism, which is explored through the use of biased agonists to elucidate various cellular signaling pathways. Gellman's recent research themes include identifying unexpected modes of agonist conformational dynamics that are pivotal in signal transduction.

Research Interests