Professor Michel Bouvier, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at Université de Montréal (UdeM) and professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine, was named recipient of the Julius Axelrod Award in Pharmacology-2017 given by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). This award is presented annually to an eminent researcher to highlight his significant contributions to understanding the biochemical mechanisms underlying the pharmacological actions of drugs and for contributions to mentoring other pharmacologists.

This award acknowledges Professor Bouvier’s significant contributions to the field of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), the largest family of drug-targeted cell receptors, and the profound impact he has had as a mentor to many students and postdoctoral fellows.

Professor Bouvier and his laboratory have greatly influenced the field of GPCR, in particular by their essential contributions to the development of innovative concepts such as inverse agonism and biased signaling, and for the development of pharmacological chaperones for the potential treatment of several genetic diseases, including nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) and early-onset severe obesity. Professor Bouvier and his laboratory were also the first to develop bioluminescent resonance energy transfer (BRET) approaches, leading to the development of more than 40 biosensors to quantify many aspects of cell signaling via GPCRs.

Professor Bouvier will receive the Julius Axlrod Award at the annual ASPET meeting in Chicago in April. He will also present the Julius Axelrod Conference in Pharmacology at the ASPET Annual Meeting in 2018 in San Diego, California.

Further reading on the same topic:

• A new technology to monitor G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) trafficking

About the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer

An ultra-modern research hub and training centre located in the heart of the Université de Montreal, the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) was created in 2003 to shed light on the mechanisms of cancer and discover new, more effective therapies to counter this disease. IRIC operates according to a model that is unique in Canada. Its innovative approach to research has already led to discoveries that will, over the coming years, have a significant impact on the fight against cancer. For further information.

Information

Olivier Dilain
Communication and media relations advisor
Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer│IRIC
Université de Montréal
olivier.dilain@umontreal.ca│514-343-7283