Dr. Gregory Scherrer - 2015

Dr. Grégory Scherrer received his PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Strasbourg University in 2005 under the supervision of Dr. Brigitte Kieffer. In 2006 he joined Dr. Allan Basbaum’s laboratory at UCSF for his postdoctoral training. From 2009-20012 he continued as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Amy MacDermott at Columbia University in NYC. In 2012 he started his own research laboratory at Stanford University as a faculty member of the Neurosciences Institute and the Departments of Anesthesiology and Molecular and Cellular Physiology. His laboratory combines a variety of experimental approaches including molecular and cellular biology, neuroanatomy, electrophysiology, opto-/pharmacogenetics and behavior in mouse to resolve the functional organization of pain neural circuits in normal conditions and during injury- or disease-induced chronic pain, and how opioids modulate neuronal function to produce analgesia and detrimental side effects. A major goal of the Scherrer laboratory is to use novel insights into opioids’ mechanisms of action develop more efficacious and safer therapeutics to treat patients suffering from pain. Comments about Dr. Scherer from the Selection Committee: While working on his thesis, conducted under the supervision of Dr. Brigitte Kieffer, Dr. Gregory Scherrer studied the role of delta opioid receptor (DOR) in pain control, emotional response and cognitive process utilizing advanced techniques, including molecular biology and transgenic animals. Upon obtaining his PhD, he then moved to San Francisco to work with Professor Alan Basbaum at UCSF to conduct studies on the function and anatomical localization of DOR in pain processing pathways. During a post-doctoral period with Dr. Amy MacDermott, he focused on the organization of neuronal circuits that are regulated by opioids in the spinal cord. Upon finishing his work at Columbia he was recruited by Standford University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology where, Greg continues his research on cellular and molecular mechanisms of pain and its control by opioids. Since the beginning of his career, Dr Scherrer’s research has been original and important, resulted in several publications in high impact journals such as PNAS, PLoS One, Pain and Cell, and led to the awarding of a competitive Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) Award from NIDA to examine the analgesic actions of opioid peptides in chronic pain. Over the years Dr. Scherrer has been a regular attendee at INRC meetings and has contributed excellent science related to our organization.