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Val Watts
![Val Watts Profile Picture](../../../images/training-groups/vwatts.jpg)
Professor and Associate Dean for Research
University of North Carolina
wattsv@purdue.edu
765-496-3872
RHPH 210
www.mcmp.purdue.edu/faculty/wattsv
Integrative Neuroscience
Membrane Biology
Active Mentor - currently hosting PULSe students for laboratory rotations and recruiting PULSe students into the laboratory; serves on preliminary exam committees
Current Research Interests:
The research in the Watts laboratory is designed to use a multi-disciplinary approach, combining medicinal chemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry, and pharmacology to study the signaling mechanisms of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and the regulation of adenylyl cyclases.
Selected Publications:
Doyle, T.B., Hayes, M.P., Chen, D.-H., Raskind, W.H., and Watts, V.J. Functional characterization of AC5 gain-of-function variants: Impact on the molecular basis of ADCY5-related dyskinesia. Biochem. Pharmacol. 163: 169-177, 2019 PMID: 3077269. Baldwin, T.A., Li, Y., Brand, C.S., Watts, V.J., and Dessauer, C.W., Insights into the regulatory properties of adenylyl cyclase type 9. Mol. Pharmacol. 95: 349-360, 2019 PMID: 30696718. Kaur, J., Soto-Velasquez, M., Ding, Z., Ghanbarpour, A., Lill, M.A., van Rijn, R.M., Watts, V.J., and Flaherty, D.P., Optimization of a 1,3,4-oxadiazole series for inhibition of Ca2+/calmodulin-stimulated activity of adenylyl cyclases 1 and 8 for the treatment of chronic pain. Eur. J. Med. Chem. 162:568-585, 2019 PMID: 30472604. Soto-Velasquez, M., Hayes, M. P., Alpsoy, A., Dykhuizen, E.C., and Watts, V.J. A novel CRISPR/Cas9-based cellular model to explore adenylyl cyclase and cyclic AMP signaling. Mol. Pharmacol. 94:963-972, 2018 PMID: 29950405 Hayes, M. P., Soto-Velasquez, M., Fowler, C.A., Watts, V.J.*, and Roman, D.L.* Identification of FDA-approved small molecules capable of disrupting the calmodulin-adenylyl cyclase 8 interaction through direct binding to calmodulin. ACS Chem. Neurosci. 9:346-357, 2018. *co-corresponding authors. PMID 28968502 Brust, T.F., Alongkronusmee, D. Soto-Velasquez, M., Baldwin, T.A., Ye, Z, Dai, M. Dessauer, C.W., van Rijn, R.M., and Watts, V.J., Identification of a selective small molecule inhibitor of type 1 adenylyl cyclase activity with analgesic properties. Sci. Signal.10: eaah5381, 2017 PMID: 28223412- Faculty Profile