Tonio Pera

Dr. Tonio Pera is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, leading a research laboratory focused on GPCR signaling mechanisms in respiratory health. His work investigates how arrestins and GPCR kinases regulate receptor function in airway smooth muscle, with emphasis on biased signaling of muscarinic receptors and implications for asthma/COPD pathology.

Research Focus: The Pera Lab specializes in:

• Decoding arrestin/GRK-mediated GPCR signaling cascades
• Muscarinic receptor bias in airway hyperresponsiveness
• Pharmacological targeting of airway smooth muscle phenotypes
• Therapeutic innovation for obstructive lung diseases

Publication Trends: Recent articles explore GPCR signaling dysregulation in airways, ligand-specific bias mechanisms (e.g., PD 102807), NHERF1 scaffold functions, and clinical management strategies for asthma/COPD, collectively advancing molecular pneumology.

Laboratory: Leads the Pera Laboratory dedicated to airway physiology and GPCR pharmacology research.