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The Center for Translational Vision Research Distinguished Speaker Series, also known as "Friday Seminars" showcases innovative research across the world. The seminar series has now been expanded to include lectures by experts on topics ranging from Ophthalmology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Neurobiology, Imaging, Computational Sciences to Novel Ophthalmic Treatments.
All talks are hybrid. You can join us in person at
You can also join us by zoom. Zoom link and information are on your right and in the calendar links above.
Learn More About the Distinguished Speaker Series
Bryan L. Roth, M.D., Ph.D. is an internationally recognized leader in molecular pharmacology and neurobiology, known for pioneering advances in G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) biology and chemogenetic technologies. He directs the NIMH Psychoactive Drug Screening Program (PDSP) and serves as the Michael Hooker Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before joining UNC in 2006, he was Professor of Psychiatry and Biochemistry at Case Western Reserve University, where he established a leading laboratory in molecular neuropharmacology. Trained in both medicine and biochemistry, Dr. Roth received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Saint Louis University and completed postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Mental Health, followed by residency and research at Stanford. He is best known for creating Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs), a transformative chemogenetic platform that enables precise control of neuronal circuits and has become a cornerstone of modern neuroscience. His laboratory has also advanced GPCR structural biology, receptorome profiling, and the discovery of novel neuroactive ligands. Dr. Roth is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and his honors include the Goodman & Gilman Award in Receptor Pharmacology, the PhRMA Foundation Excellence in Pharmacology Award, and the 2024 Frank H. Westheimer Prize from Harvard University. He has authored more than 400 publications spanning pharmacology, structural biology, and synthetic neurobiology, and continues to mentor the next generation of scientists while leading translational research to develop new therapies for psychiatric and neurological disorders.