Sridhar Vasudevan

Our approach integrates deep mechanistic pharmacology with translational medicine. With expertise spanning intracellular signalling cascades, GPCR pharmacology, and metabolic regulation, we dissect disease pathophysiology from molecular targets through cellular systems to in vivo models. This enables us to identify critical nodes in neuro and metabolic disorders, optimize small molecules through medicinal chemistry partnerships, and advance candidates toward clinical validation. Notable translational outcomes include CT1500 (adenosine receptor modulator, Phase 2 trials via our spin-out Circadian Therapeutics) and ebselen (bipolar disorder candidate now in Phase 2 clinical development).

My training spans basic signalling biology (DPhil, Oxford - calcium/cAMP pathways), psychiatric and metabolic pharmacology (Postdoctoral fellow-led projects), and research commercialisation (BBSRC-RSE Enterprise Fellowship). Successive awards from public, charity, and industry funders have enabled diverse mechanistic approaches to unmet needs in neuropsychiatry.

Current research priorities:

• Bipolar disorder and metabolic-psychiatric comorbidities: Novel therapeutic targets and biomarker development
• Sleep-wake regulation: Identifying homeostatic mechanisms and druggable pathways
• Receptor pharmacology for CNS GPCRs
• Platform technologies: Developing novel high-throughput assays and scalable in vivo phenotyping (telemetry-free recording in >100 mice for statistically powered preclinical studies)

Lab members gain experience spanning target validation, small-molecule discovery, in vivo pharmacology, and translational study design using state-of-the-art methodologies—preparing them for careers in academic or industry research.

I teach advanced pharmacology, neuroscience and drug discovery to undergraduate and graduate students across Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, and Pharmacology programmes. I supervise DPhil students, postdoctoral researchers, and clinical fellows, and serve on departmental and university committees advancing translational research and scientist welfare.