Prof. Claire Newton

Prof Newton’s research focusses on the pharmacology and therapeutic targeting of G protein- coupled receptors (GPCRs) in health and disease. Her passion for this field began with her PhD (with the University of Reading, UK and Psychiatry Centre for Excellence in Drug Discovery, GlaxoSmithKline), where she explored the effects of assay conditions and dopamine receptor interactions on antipsychotic drug action. Following her PhD, she joined a small biopharmaceutical company where she developed assays to measure cellular interactions of novel conjugates of GPCR ligands. However, after gaining experience in industry, she decided to transition back to academia and undertook postdoctoral positions at the University of Edinburgh (MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit and Centre for Integrative Physiology) and the University of Cape Town (MRC/UCT Receptor Biology Research Unit). In 2014 she joined the University of Pretoria as Deputy Director of the newly established Centre for Neuroendocrinology (CNE). The Newton group explores the molecular functioning of (neuro)endocrine GPCRs, with particular emphasis on their roles in endocrine disease and the development of targeted treatments. A key focus area is the discovery and utilisation of novel small molecule therapeutics (pharmacological chaperones) to restore function to misfolded intracellularly-retained GPCRs by modifying receptor cell surface expression.

- Author David van Heerden

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