That’s a wrap on #ASPET2026 in Minneapolis! Our lab attended our first ASPET meeting this year, and it did not disappoint — brilliant presentations, cutting-edge science, and one of the warmest scientific communities we’ve been part of. Safe travels to everyone heading home. See you next year!

May 4th 2026

What a day for our lab!

Our very own Aaliyah Tyson achieved not one, but two major milestones today: she was awarded the prestigious USC WiSE PhD Merit Award AND passed her qualifying exam with flying colors.

The WiSE Merit Award recognizes outstanding women in science and engineering, and Aaliyah embodies exactly that: brilliance, determination, and the kind of grit that makes great science happen.

We are immensely proud of you, Aaliyah. The dissertation home stretch is on the way.

April 24 2026

We’re excited to share that Cornelius has been promoted to Associate Professor! This milestone reflects an incredible group effort over the past few years.

Our mission remains the same: to find creative ways to answer fundamentally important questions in the biochemistry and pharmacology of cellular signaling—and to keep questioning the dogma along the way.

Looking forward to what’s next!

April 24 2026

Incredibly proud to celebrate our very own Dr. Saif Khan on receiving the USC PhD Achievement Award tonight! It was wonderful to have you back with us. We're excited to see all the amazing things you’ll accomplish next. Wishing you continued success in all your future endeavors!Description goes here

March 22 2026

We’re delighted to welcome our newest lab member, Dr. Sayuri Pacheco! Fresh off her graduation at the Keck Medical School, she is joining us as a Postdoc. We’re excited to have her on board and looking forward to see the impactful research she’ll bring

February 2 2026

Fantastic news: our very own graduate student Aaliyah Tyson has been awarded a prestigious R36 NIDA Substance Use/Substance Use Disorder Dissertation Research Award.

Many congratulations to this very well deserved recognition!

The Gati Lab is seeking highly motivated postdoctoral researchers or research technicians to join our interdisciplinary research program focused on G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) biology and pharmacology.

Our research aims to elucidate the structural and mechanistic principles governing GPCR signaling and to translate these insights toward novel therapeutic strategies. We integrate cutting-edge cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) with cell-based pharmacological assays and computational modeling to study GPCRs activated by diverse ligands, including neurotransmitters, peptides, and immune modulators.

If you are passionate about GPCR biology, structural biology, pharmacology, and modern drug discovery, we encourage you to apply.

Desired Expertise

We welcome applicants with experience in one or more of the following areas:

Biochemistry: Recombinant protein expression in Sf9 and mammalian expression system. Purification of membrane proteins.

Cryo-EM: Single-particle cryo-EM analysis of membrane proteins, including GPCR complexes.

GPCR Pharmacology: Cell-based signaling assays (e.g., BRET-based assays), receptor trafficking studies, or advanced imaging approaches.

Computational Biology: Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, structure-based drug design, or protein/antibody engineering.

Qualifications

Applicants must hold a PhD in a relevant discipline (e.g., structural biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, computational biology, or related fields) and demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills.

Interested candidates should apply Prof. Gati (gati[at]usc.edu) and include a CV, a brief statement of research interests, and contact information for two academic references.

December 5 2026

Many congratulations to the newly minted Dr. Saif Khan, the first graduate of our lab. He delivered a spectacular defense on our recent work in opioid receptor pharmacology. We’ll miss you greatly and wish you every success in your next chapter!