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ProfessorAlejandra Tomas Catala

Professor of Cell Biology

Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction - Faculty of Medicine

Orcid identifier0000-0002-2290-8453 (opens in a new tab)⁠
  • Professor of Cell Biology
    Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction - Faculty of Medicine
  • 07926389365 (Mobile)
  • 329, ICTEM building, Hammersmith Campus, United Kingdom

RESEARCH

Our research is focused on the study of the spatiotemporal regulation of signalling of the glucagon receptor family in pancreatic islets, adipocytes and hepatocytes, with direct application to the development of novel Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), obesity and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) therapies. We are working in projects related to the study of cell subtype and/or subcellular compartmentalisation of signalling, inter-organelle communication, receptor-driven lipid detoxification, and development of allosteric modulators targeting receptor cholesterol binding sites, as well as molecular characterisation of receptor post-translational modifications and gain and/or loss-of-function natural coding variants to develop personalised therapeutic strategies. We use molecular cell biology techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, high-resolution/super-resolution fluorescence and electron microscopy imaging, multiomic analyses, pharmacology methods, and cell type-specific/subcellular biosensor-based assays to characterise receptor signalling outputs from cell lines and primary islets, adipocytes, and hepatocytes, as well as studying in vivo effects on glucose handling from transgenic mice and/or mouse models of diet-induced diabetes.

Group Website:

STRiM Laboratory

Group Members:

Dr Affiong Oqua (Postdoctoral Research Associate)

Dr Annabelle Milner (Postdoctoral Research Associate)

 

Dr Laongdao Thongnak (Postdoctoral Fellow)

Ms Yusman Manchanda (Research Assistant / PhD Student)

Mr Gregory Austin (PhD Student)

Ms Linda Wong (PhD Student)

 

Ms Yali Lyu (PhD Student)

 

Ms Ghazel Mukhtar (PhD Student)

 

Ms Kaiwei Zhang (PhD Student)


Research Grants:

May 2026 MRC EQUIP Capital Award (APP65201): “Lattice SIM 3D Super-Resolution Microscope - ZEISS Lattice SIM 5”, £614,608 FEC, Principal Investigator

Mar 2026 MRC MultiSci iCASE PhD Studentship, co-funded by Eli Lilly, “Allosteric modulation of the glucagon receptor via cholesterol binding sites” £188,800, Principal Supervisor, co-supervisors Sarah L Rouse (Dept Life Sciences) and Kyle W Sloop (Eli Lilly)
Mar 2026 Imperial College Foundation (private donation from Ms Paige Gordon): “Functional profiling of GLP-1/GLP-2 receptor variants associated with eating disorders”, 44,000 USD, Principal Investigator 

July 2025 MRC EQUIP Capital Award (APP66271): “Multiphoton in-depth live quantitative imaging across scales: from organoids to tissue, from tissue to intravital imaging”, £798,999 FEC, co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Jorge Bernardino de la Serna)
May 2025 BBSRC Equipment Grant (UKRI2254): “A communal focussed ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) for in situ structural biology”, £1,500,000 FEC, co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Sebastian Guettler, ICR)
Mar 2025 EPSRC CDT PhD Studentship in Chemical Biology: Empowering UK BioTech Innovation; co-funded by Vertex, “Molecular Mechanisms of Agonist-Driven G Protein Coupling in β-Branch Class A GPCRs”, ~£120,000, co-Supervisor with Sarah L Rouse (Dept Life Science) and Meng Li (Vertex)
Oct 2024 Integrated islet distribution program (IIDP) approved study: “Factors regulating incretin receptor responses in pancreatic islets”, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Oct 2024 Wellcome Trust Discovery Award (301619/Z/23/Z): “Allosteric modulation of class B1 GPCRs via cholesterol binding sites”, £6,821,221 FEC (£3,103,912 funder contribution), Principal Investigator
Mar 2024 Society for Endocrinology Research Grant: “Impact of the rs10305492 (Ala316Thr) variant on GLP-1 receptor responses in vivo - implications for metabolic health”, £3,998, Principal Investigator
Sep 2023 MRC Project Grant (MR/X021467/1): “Molecular mechanisms underlying divergent incretin receptor responses in alpha versus beta cells”, £713,707 FEC, Principal Investigator
Sep 2023 MRC Project Grant (MR/X009912/1): “Deciphering the mechanism of action of miR-125b in beta cells and its therapeutic potential in diabetes”, £758,870 FEC, co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Aida Martinez Sanchez)
Sep 2023 Diabetes UK Project Grant (22/0006450): “The role of cation-dependent mannose-6-phosphate receptor (M6PR) in beta cells and its potential as therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetes”, £340,273, co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Aida Martinez Sanchez)
Sep 2023 Imperial College President’s PhD Scholarship (Mr Gregory Austin): “Mechanisms of lipid handling by the GLP-1R”, ~£100,000, Sponsor
Jul 2022 IBIN Pump Priming Grant (MR/W024985/1): “Spatiotemporal Resolution of Lateral Mobility and Lipid Nanodomain Interactions of the GLP-1 receptor in Pancreatic Beta Cells”, £13,642, Principal Investigator
Nov 2021 UREKA ImmuPharma: “Treating diseases with incretin analogues”, £21,159, co-Principal Investigator with Ben Jones
Oct 2021 Lilly Research Award Program (LRAP): “The effects of ligand, genotype and tissue diversity on GIPR trafficking responses”, £217,120, co-Principal Investigator with Ben Jones
Apr 2021 BBSRC Equipment Grant (BB/V019791/1): “Optical Fluorescence Micro and Nanoscopy to determine and quantify functional molecular interactions and dynamics across time and length scales”, £624,274 FEC, co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Jorge Bernardino de la Serna)
Mar 2021 Commonwealth PhD Scholarship (Affiong Ika Oqua): “Analysis of the effect of the lipid microenvironment on beta cell GLP-1R responses”, £167,832, Sponsor
Jan 2021 Diabetes UK PhD Studentship (19/0006094): “Spatiotemporal Control of Signalling of the GLP-1R Variant Ala316Thr in Pancreatic Beta Cells”, £108,414, Principal Supervisor
Jan 2020 EFSD/Boehringer Ingelheim European Research Programme on “Multi-System Challenges in Diabetes”: “Understanding the tissue-specific effects of biased GLP-1 receptor agonism in type 2 diabetes”, £122,974, co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Ben Jones)
May 2018 Sun Pharmaceuticals: “Functional Studies on Novel GLP-1R Agonists”, £232,800, co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Guy Rutter)
Mar 2018 MRC Project Grant (MR/R010676/1): “Targeting GLP-1 Receptor Trafficking to Improve Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes”, £702,219 FEC, Principal Investigator
Feb 2017 Diabetes UK Project Grant (16/0005485): “Molecular mechanisms linking Sorcin to pancreatic beta cell lipotoxicity and ER Ca2+ stores”, £251,702, co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Isabelle Leclerc)
Sep 2016 Diabetes UK PhD Studentship (15/0005374): “Use of functional genomics to identify the causal genes at two novel type 2 diabetes loci”, £102,734, co-Supervisor (Principal Supervisor: Guy Rutter)
Sep 2016 Diabetes UK Small Grant (16/0005441): “Modulation of pancreatic beta-cell cytokine-induced apoptosis by p38-dependent ligand-independent activation of epidermal growth factor receptor”, £15,000, Principal Investigator
Mar 2015 MRC New Investigator Research Grant (MR/M012646): “Role and regulation of GLP-1 receptor trafficking in pancreatic beta cells”, £484,663 FEC, Principal Investigator

 

GRANTS

  • GRANT
    Allosteric modulation of class B1 GPCRs via cholesterol binding sites
    Wellcome Trust1 Oct 2024 - 30 Sep 2032
  • STANDARD - CALL
    The role of cation-dependent mannose-6-phosphate receptor (M6PR) in beta cell function and diabetes
    Diabetes UK3 Sep 2023 - 1 Dec 2026
    Diabetes UK: The role of cation-dependent mannose-6-phosphate receptor (M6PR) in beta cell function and diabetes (2023-2026)
  • STANDARD - CALL
    Molecular mechanisms underlying divergent incretin receptor responses in ¿ versus ß cells
    Medical Research Council (MRC)1 Sep 2023 - 31 Aug 2026
    MRC: Molecular mechanisms underlying divergent incretin receptor responses in ¿ versus ß cells (2023-2026)
  • STANDARD - CALL
    Deciphering the mechanism of action of miR-125b in beta cells and its therapeutic potential in Diabetes¿
    Medical Research Council (MRC)1 Jul 2023 - 8 Oct 2026
    MRC: Deciphering the mechanism of action of miR-125b in beta cells and its therapeutic potential in Diabetes¿ (2023-2026)
  • STANDARD - CALL
    Spatiotemporal Resolution of Lateral Mobility and Lipid Nanodomain Interactions of the GLP-1 receptor in Pancreatic Beta Cells
    Medical Research Council (MRC)1 Jun 2022 - 31 Aug 2022
    MRC: Spatiotemporal Resolution of Lateral Mobility and Lipid Nanodomain Interactions of the GLP-1 receptor in Pancreatic Beta Cells (2022-2022)
  • STANDARD - RESPONSE
    The effects of ligand, genotype and tissue diversity on GIPR trafficking responses
    Eli Lilly & Company (USA)1 Sep 2021 - 31 Aug 2023
    Eli Lilly & Company (USA): The effects of ligand, genotype and tissue diversity on GIPR trafficking responses (2021-2023)
  • GRANT
    BBSRC 20ALER: Optical Fluorescence Micro and Nanoscopy to determine and quantify functional molecular interactions and dynamics across time and length scales
    Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Cou1 Jul 2021 - 30 Jun 2022
    Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Cou: BBSRC 20ALER: Optical Fluorescence Micro and Nanoscopy to determine and quantify functional molecular interactions and dynamics across time and length scales (2021-2022)
  • GRANT
    Real-time imaging of cyclic AMP dynamics in pancreatic islets to understand the role of beta-arrestin-2 in insulin secretion.
    Society for Endocrinology1 Jan 2021 - 31 Dec 2021
    Society for Endocrinology: Real-time imaging of cyclic AMP dynamics in pancreatic islets to understand the role of beta-arrestin-2 in insulin secretion. (2021-2021)
  • GRANT
    Spatiotemporal Control of Signaling of the GLP-1R Variant Ala316Thr in Pancreatic Beta Cells.
    Diabetes UK1 Jan 2021 - 30 Jun 2024
    Diabetes UK: Spatiotemporal Control of Signaling of the GLP-1R Variant Ala316Thr in Pancreatic Beta Cells. (2021-2024)
  • GRANT
    Imperial CoA MRC
    Medical Research Council (MRC)1 Sep 2020 - 1 Dec 2023
    MRC: Imperial CoA MRC (2020-2021)
  • GRANT
    EFSD/Boehringer Ingelheim European Research Programme on multi-system challenges in diabetes
    European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes1 Jan 2020 - 31 Mar 2022
    European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes: EFSD/Boehringer Ingelheim European Research Programme on multi-system challenges in diabetes (2020-2022)
  • GRANT
    Functional studies on novel GLP-1R agonists.
    Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited1 Feb 2019 - 31 Mar 2021
    Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited: Functional studies on novel GLP-1R agonists. (2019-2021)
  • GRANT
    Targeting GLP-1 receptor trafficking to improve therapies for type 2 diabetes
    Medical Research Council (MRC)16 Mar 2018 - 15 Mar 2021
    MRC: Targeting GLP-1 receptor trafficking to improve therapies for type 2 diabetes (2018-2021)
  • GRANT
    Modulation of pancreatic beta cell cytokine-induced apoptosis by p38- dependent ligand-independent activation of epidermal growth factor receptor
    Diabetes UK1 Sep 2016 - 31 Aug 2017
    Early-Career Small Grants for Basic Scientists
  • GRANT
    Role and regulation of GLP-1 receptor trafficking in pancreatic beta cells
    Medical Research Council15 Mar 2015 - 15 Mar 2018
  • PROGRAMME GRANT
    Allosteric modulation of class B1 GPCRs via cholesterol binding sites
    Wellcome Trust
    Wellcome Trust: Allosteric modulation of class B1 GPCRs via cholesterol binding sites (2024-2032)
  • CLINICAL TRIAL
    Treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis with incretin analogues
    Ureka Pharma SAS
    Ureka Pharma SAS: Treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis with incretin analogues (2021-2023)