Shukla Arun

Arun Shukla studied biotechnology at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, and earned a PhD at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt, Germany, under the supervision of 1988 Nobel Laureate Michel Hartmut. Then, he moved to Duke University (North Carolina, USA) to carry out his postdoctoral research with 2012 Nobel Laureate Robert Lefkowitz, in close collaboration with Brian Kobilka, a 2012 Nobel Laureate, at Stanford University. Shukla later moved to Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur to establish a cutting-edge research program focused on the structure and function of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest class of cell-surface receptors in the human genome and important therapeutic targets. The long-term goal of his research is to understand the fundamental principles of GPCR activation, signaling, and regulation, to design novel therapeutics with less side effects for various human disorders. He has pioneered research in membrane protein structural biology in India, and his sustained advocacy at multiple levels has been instrumental in establishing and strengthening the infrastructure and research focus in this field in the country.