MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit

Background
Professor Millar is Director of the MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit which comprises over 100 researchers and attracts about £5 million annual funding. The Unit research focusses on pathologies of female and male reproductive tissues, infertility, contraception and hormone replacement therapy.

Prior to holding his present appointments, he has held a personal Chair and made a Fellow at the University of Cape Town and served as Dean of Research in the Medical Faculty. He has served on the board of many international journals and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Neuroendocrinology. He has published over 300 papers and 20 patents.

Research focus
Professor Millar's research focusses on the molecular functioning of the GnRH receptor with an emphasis on ligand receptor interactions, mechanisms of ligand-mediated receptor activation and coupling to intracellular signalling pathways and receptor trafficking. Professor Millar pioneered the discovery of the GnRH prohormone and novel GnRHs. His group was involved with collaborators in the first cloning of the GnRH receptor and subsequent discovery of GnRH receptor subtypes.

Together with collaborators his laboratory have made major contributions in delineating GnRH binding sites and the molecular mechanisms underlying receptor activation and coupling to signalling pathways. His group's research on distinct antiproliferative effects of selective GnRH analogues on tumour cells has revealed the novel concept of ligand-induced-selective-signalling by GnRH analogues which has implications in the development of new GnRH therapeutics. His research thus spans molecular research at an atomic level through cell biology, physiology and experimental medicine to translation into clinical practice.

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Professor Robert Millar Unit Director and Principal Investigator		Contact
Background Professor Millar is Director of the MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit which comprises over 100 researchers and attracts about £5 million annual funding. The Unit research focusses on pathologies of female and male reproductive tissues, infertility, contraception and hormone replacement therapy. Prior to holding his present appointments, he has held a personal Chair and made a Fellow at the University of Cape Town and served as Dean of Research in the Medical Faculty. He has served on the board of many international journals and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Neuroendocrinology. He has published over 300 papers and 20 patents. Research focus Professor Millar's research focusses on the molecular functioning of the GnRH receptor with an emphasis on ligand receptor interactions, mechanisms of ligand-mediated receptor activation and coupling to intracellular signalling pathways and receptor trafficking. Professor Millar pioneered the discovery of the GnRH prohormone and novel GnRHs. His group was involved with collaborators in the first cloning of the GnRH receptor and subsequent discovery of GnRH receptor subtypes. Together with collaborators his laboratory have made major contributions in delineating GnRH binding sites and the molecular mechanisms underlying receptor activation and coupling to signalling pathways. His group's research on distinct antiproliferative effects of selective GnRH analogues on tumour cells has revealed the novel concept of ligand-induced-selective-signalling by GnRH analogues which has implications in the development of new GnRH therapeutics. His research thus spans molecular research at an atomic level through cell biology, physiology and experimental medicine to translation into clinical practice.		r.millar@hrsu.mrc.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)131 242 9100 Fax: +44 (0)131 242 6197

		Publications
		Publications - full listing
		Publications - Selected; recent
		Gametogenesis
		Research Programmes
		Molecular and Structural Basis of Ligand-induced Selective Signalling of G Protein-coupled Receptors (GPCRs) in Reproduction and Cancers
		GnRH receptor multi-protein complexes-implications for integrative and ligand-selective signalling
		Development and application of GnRH analogues : application in cancers and the reproductive tract

		Research Staff
		Professor Millar's research group comprises Dr Zhi-Liang Lu, Dr Adam Pawson, Dr Kevin Morgan, 1 Career Development Fellow, 4 PhD students and 5 Research Support staff.

		Editorships/Affiliations/Collaborations
		Professor Millar has served on many journal editorial boards and currently on Endocrinology, General and Comparative Endocrinology and Journal of Endocrinology.
		Editor in Chief of Journal of Neuroendocrinology
		Executive Board of the MRC and the Governing Board of MRC Technology.
		Founder and is Chief Scientific Officer of Ardana Biosciences.
		Scottish Parliament Cross-Party Group on Sexual Health member .
		Professor Millar has numerous collaborations with researchers in Africa, Europe, Australia and the Americas .

Selected recent publications
Barran PE, Roeske RW, Pawson AJ, Sellar R, Bowers MT, Morgan K, Lu Z-L, Tsuda M, Kusakabe T, Millar R (2005). Evolution of constrained GnRH ligand conformation and receptor selectivity Journal of Biological Chemistry, 280, 38569-38575. Lu Z, Gallagher R, Sellar R, Coetsee M, Millar RP.(2005) Mutations remote from the Human Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone (GnRH) Receptor Binding Sites specifically increase Binding Affinity for GnRH II, but not GnRH I: Evidence for Ligand-Selective Receptor Active Conformations. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 280 (33), 29796-29803. Maudsley S, Davidson L, Pawson AJ, Chan R, Lopez de Maturana R, Millar RP. (2004). Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Antagonists promote Proapoptotic signalling in peripheral reproductive tumor cells by activating a G a -coupling state of the Type I GnRH Receptor. Cancer Research , 64, 7533-7544. Davidson L, Pawson AJ, Dé Maturana RL, Freestone SH, Barran P, Millar RP, Maudsley S. (2004). GnRH-induced activation of diacylglycerol kinase z and its association with active c-Src. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 279 (12,) 11906-16. Millar, R.P., Lowe, S., Conklin, D., Pawson, A., Maudsley, S., Troskie, B., Ott, T., Millar, M., Lincoln, G., Sellar, R. Faurholm, B., Scobie, G., Kuestner, R., Terasawa, E. and Katz, A. (2001). A novel mammalian receptor for the evolutionarily conserved Type II gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America , 98, 9636-9641


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