Dr. Brian Kobilka is a world-renowned scientist whose work has revolutionized our understanding of cellular communication mechanisms. He currently serves as Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and holds the Helene Irwin Fagan Chair in Cardiology at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he has maintained a distinguished research program since joining the faculty in 1989. Dr. Kobilka earned his Bachelor of Science degrees in biology and chemistry from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 1977 and completed his medical degree at Yale University School of Medicine in 1981. Following residency training in internal medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, he conducted transformative postdoctoral research under Robert Lefkowitz at Duke University, where he identified the gene encoding the adrenaline receptor and discovered its structural relationship to light-capturing receptors in the eye.
His laboratory's groundbreaking research elucidated the three-dimensional structure and activation mechanism of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which represent the largest family of drug targets in human physiology. This seminal work provided unprecedented insights into how cells communicate with their environment and respond to hormones and neurotransmitters, fundamentally reshaping pharmacology and drug development. For these discoveries, Dr. Kobilka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2012 jointly with Robert Lefkowitz, recognizing research that has enabled the development of more effective and targeted therapeutics across numerous disease areas. His laboratory has produced several hundred publications in prestigious scientific journals including Nature, Science, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, establishing foundational knowledge that continues to guide biomedical research worldwide.
Beyond his experimental contributions, Dr. Kobilka has profoundly influenced the scientific community through his leadership roles and commitment to advancing biomedical research. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, reflecting his significant impact across multiple disciplines. Dr. Kobilka has mentored numerous scientists who have established successful independent careers, and his laboratory continues to investigate novel aspects of GPCR biology with implications for cardiovascular medicine and drug discovery. In recognition of his sustained excellence, he co-founded the biotechnology company ConfometRx and established the Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, extending his research vision to foster international collaboration in developing next-generation therapeutics.
