Straightening collaboration between academia and industry to explore new molecules and targets to treat metabolic diseases

• Grant number: 17/17556-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: October 26, 2017
• End date: November 01, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Biochemical and Molecular Pharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Alves da Silva Mori
• Grantee: Marcelo Alves da Silva Mori
• Visiting researcher: Jeremie Boucher
• Visiting researcher institution: AstraZeneca, United Kingdom, England
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/01184-9 - CAMeLEOm: cross-species analysis of metabolic, lifespan effects and omics of dietary restriction mimetics, AP.TEM

Abstract

Dr. Jeremie Boucher is a Principal Scientist at AstraZeneca, R&D CVMD iMed and Group Leader at the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine in the University of Gothenburg, where he leads bench-to-bedside projects focused on finding new molecules targeting metabolic diseases. Dr. Boucher and AstraZeneca have established a collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. Marcelo A. Mori in the past to screen for new compounds to induce brown/beige adipocyte differentiation. As an initial approach, AstraZeneca agreed to offer a library of small molecules that are being screened in the Mori lab. AstraZeneca is interested in follow-up with this project and also in performing pre-clinical studies in the Mori lab, using some of the compounds in their pipeline. This would mean investing money into projects that are set to be developed in the Mori lab. But before that, they want to have an in-site tour to evaluate project goals and feasibility. Furthermore, Dr. Boucher has an academic lab and is interested in recruiting students and postdocs to his laboratory. With this purpose and to share some of his expertise, Dr. Boucher will give a talk at the Institute of Biology in the Seminar Series, attended by dozens of grad and undergrad students. Dr. Boucher will meet these students and provide them with hints of how to migrate from academia to industry and how to conduct a translational project. He will also stay in the Mori lab for a few days conducting in-depth discussions on ongoing projects and offering advice. Finally, Dr. Boucher will meet with researchers of the Structure Genomics Consortium (SGC) at UNICAMP to engage in discussions to establish target enabling packages in collaboration with AstraZeneca and of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto and the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at USP to explore new collaborations. At the latter, Dr. Boucher will participate in a mini-symposium focused on metabolism. These activities will enable collaboration in the field of translational medicine between AstraZeneca - a multinational pharmaceutical company - and laboratories in São Paulo Universities. (AU)