معرفی
Denise Wootten is a Professor (Research) and NHMRC Senior Research Fellow at Monash University's Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Drug Discovery Biology. She leads the Metabolic Receptor Biology Laboratory within the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her expertise focuses on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), particularly the class B subfamily involved in metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity. She completed her PhD at the University of Birmingham (2008) and joined Monash in 2009.
Research Interests:
Wootten's lab investigates glucagon and calcitonin receptor families, using structural biology, computational modeling, and pharmacological approaches to study allosteric modulation and biased agonism. These phenomena are central to GPCR drug discovery, aiming to develop therapies for metabolic disorders.
Recent Projects:
- Impact of biased agonism at the GLP-1R for obesity and diabetes treatment (2025–2028)
- Structure determination of GPCR heteromers (2024–2028)
- Dynamics of class B1 GPCRs (2023–2027)
- GLP-1R and GIPR dimerisation importance (2023–2026)
Publications:
Wootten's work includes high-impact studies on GPCR structures (e.g., Nature, Cell) and mechanisms of biased agonism. Recent articles highlight cryo-EM structures of receptors in complex with ligands and G proteins, advancing drug design insights.
Grants & Collaborations:
Funded by NHMRC and ARC, her projects involve collaborations on incretin receptors, GPCR heteromers, and metabolic signaling. She co-organized the 2022 ASCEPT Drug Discovery Symposium.
Labs/Teams:
Leads the Metabolic Receptor Biology Lab, focusing on structural and functional GPCR studies. Active in interdisciplinary teams exploring drug discovery and metabolic pathways.
