BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//eluceo/ical//2.0/EN VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6c27a64f1435c24321cbe9b50cd80e72 DTSTAMP:20260823T235204Z SUMMARY:Seeing signalling: cells\, receptors\, and metabolism DESCRIPTION:Trillions of cells constantly sense and respond to the world ar ound them\, but how do we see these hidden processes in action?\nProfessor Alejandra Tomas Catala\, Professor of Cell Biology\, reveals how new tech nologies are helping us understand the signals that regulate metabolism\, and what they could mean for tackling diseases such as diabetes. \nPlease register to attend in person. A live stream link for online attendance wil l be available here shortly. \nWe look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 18 November!\nImperial Inaugurals are term-time lectures that celebrate our newest Professors\, recognising their academic journey and showcasing their research.\nAbstract\n\nEvery moment of our lives\, trillions of cel ls are making decisions. They sense nutrients\, hormones\, and signals fro m their surroundings\, interpreting this information to regulate growth\, energy use\, and survival. These cellular conversations underpin everythin g from healthy development to disease responses. Yet many of the most impo rtant signalling processes occur on scales invisible to the naked eye\, ra ising a fundamental question: how can we observe how cells “see” and respond to the world around them?\nAdvances in molecular biology\, imagin g\, and quantitative approaches have transformed our ability to uncover th ese hidden processes. By revealing how receptors detect signals and how ce lls translate them into functional responses\, researchers are uncovering the mechanisms that maintain health and the pathways that become disrupt ed in disease\, including in metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Underst anding these processes is not only deepening our knowledge of fundamental cell biology but also creating new opportunities for therapeutic intervent ion. \n\n\n Professor Alejandra Tomas Catala is a Professor of Cell Biol ogy at Imperial College London. Her research focuses on the signalling pat hways that regulate the function of cells with critical roles in human met abolism. In her inaugural lecture\, she will explore how cells detect and interpret molecular signals\, the technologies that allow us to visualise these processes in unprecedented detail\, and what these discoveries revea l about the regulation of metabolic health and disease. \n\n\n\nDrawing o n examples from her own research and developments across the wider field\, she will discuss receptors\, intracellular signalling networks\, metaboli c regulation\, and the future of imaging-based approaches for understandin g cell function and developing new treatments. \n\nBiography\nProfessor  Alejandra Tomas is a Professor of Cell Biology and Head of Section of Cell Biology and Functional Genomics at the Dept of Metabolism\, Digestion and Reproduction\, Imperial College London. Her research leverages advanced molecular cell biology and multiomic strategies to uncover novel regula tors and signalling modalities for the glucagon receptor family of class B 1 GPCRs. By integrating insights from high resolution microscopy\, pharmac ology\, genetics\, and structural biology\, her group has identified new pathways and approaches to modulate receptor signalling\, offering opport unities to optimise their therapeutic potential in metabolic diseases such as obesity\, diabetes\, and MASLD. \nI was raised in Glasgow Scotland an d inspired by the ill-health that I saw and by school Chemistry teaching. I did both Medicine (joint second in year) and Pharmacology (First plus Pr izes) locally at the University of Glasgow. This allows a first-rate groun ding in chemistry\, and close contact with world-leading pharmacologists. I trained in histopathology (FRCPath)\, the analysis of disease in tissues \, mainly at Cambridge. I did a PhD in vascular inflammation pharmacology at Cambridge and then moved to Imperial College London. My work has been g enerously funded by MRC at Cambridge and by BHF at Imperial College London . URL:https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/212297/seeing-signalling-cells-recept ors-and-metabolism/ DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261118T173000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261118T183000 LOCATION:Lecture theatre 200\, City and Guilds Building\, South Kensington Campus\, Imperial College London\, London\, SW7 2AZ\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20261118T173000 TZNAME:GMT TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR