Brian Kobilka, Recipient of 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry,

Delivered Special Lecture

 

 

On August 31, Dr. Brian Kobilka, the 2012 Nobel Prize winner for chemistry, delivered a special lecture at Severance Hospital entitled “Developing New and Better Drugs—Structures of GPCRs (G protein-coupled receptors).” Dr. Kobilka, who also serves as a professor in the Stanford University School of Medicine, was awarded the Nobel Prize for his pioneering work on the structure of GPCRs.

 

GPCRs are essential for communication between cells located in different parts of the body. In bestowing its award, the Nobel Prize Committee explained that Dr. Kobilka’s research has great potential in terms of developing new drugs for a broad spectrum of diseases.

 

 

 

The lecture provided an opportunity for students, faculty, and researchers to meet the Nobel laureate in person and gain motivation for pursuing scientific excellence. Dr. Kobilka said: “This lecture focuses on the relationship between human health and disease, which can be explained by my research regarding structural information regarding GPCRs.” He added: “I hope students, who are the next generation of young scientists, will be benefitted by my lecture and have the opportunity to think about their scientific curiosity as well as their future.”

 

Dr. Kobilka’s talk was part of the Nobel Prize Inspiration Initiative, a global program designed to help Nobel Laureates share their inspirational stories. At the same time, the initiative strives to bring Nobel laureates in closer contact with researchers and students from around the world.