Dr. Bryan Roth is a preeminent molecular pharmacologist whose pioneering research has profoundly shaped our understanding of receptor pharmacology and neurobiological mechanisms. He currently serves as the Michael Hooker Distinguished Professor of Protein Therapeutics and Translational Proteomics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, where he maintains dual appointments in Pharmacology and Psychiatry. Born and raised in Montana, Dr. Roth earned his B.A. in biology and chemistry from Carroll College in Helena in 1977 before completing both an M.D. and Ph.D. in medicine and biochemistry from St. Louis University School of Medicine. Following a psychiatry residency at Stanford University Medical Center and fellowship at Stanford's Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, he held faculty positions at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine from 1991 to 2006 before establishing his transformative research program at UNC.
Dr. Roth's laboratory has made seminal contributions to the field of molecular neuropharmacology, most notably through the development of DREADD (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) technology in 2007, which revolutionized neuroscience research by enabling precise remote control of neural activity and has been shared with nearly 300 laboratories worldwide. His team also pioneered the 'receptorome profiling' platform that allows comprehensive identification of molecular targets across neuronal receptors, facilitating collaborative research with nearly 400 laboratories globally through the National Institute of Mental Health's Psychoactive Drug Screening Program. His extensive research on opioid receptors, informed by his clinical experience as a psychiatrist, has provided critical insights that advance the development of safer analgesics without the devastating consequences of addiction. These contributions have established Dr. Roth as a global leader in understanding how drugs interact with the brain at the most fundamental molecular level.
Beyond his research achievements, Dr. Roth has significantly shaped the field through his leadership in establishing shared resources that have accelerated discovery across the global neuroscience community. As a member of multiple faculty search committees and serving as Director of the Program in Translational Proteomics at UNC, he has mentored generations of scientists and helped build one of the world's leading pharmacology research programs. His distinguished contributions have been recognized with the NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Award and election to both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Roth continues to advance the frontiers of molecular pharmacology through his ongoing work on GPCR structure and function, with promising implications for developing novel therapeutics for neurological and psychiatric disorders that affect millions worldwide.
