Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
Education
BSc with Honors – Biochemistry – University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
PhD – Biochemistry – University of California at Berkeley
Postdoctoral – Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation
Business/Research Background
Dr. Prossnitz received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and completed post-doctoral training at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, where he advanced to faculty before relocating to UNM in 1997. He is currently a professor in the Division of Molecular Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at UNM’s Health Sciences Center. Additionally, he is a Victor and Ruby Hansen Surface endowed professor in cancer chemical biology and the co-director of the Translational Cancer Biology and Signaling Cancers Program at the UNM Cancer Center.
Particular Knowledge and Skills
Dr. Prossnitz has more than 25 years of experience in studying receptor-mediated signaling and drug discovery, having been continuously funded by the NIH since 1994. The goal of his research is to determine the role of individual estrogen receptors in health and disease, particularly cancer. He has published over 160 articles in the area of GPCR biology and has made several important contributions to the GPCR field, including the discovery of a 7-transmembrane G protein-coupled estrogen receptor, GPR30/GPER, along with selective activators and inhibitors of this receptor. He received the 2002 UNM Dean’s Award of Distinction for Outstanding Faculty Performance, the 2009 UNM Excellence in Basic Research Award, and six STC Innovation Awards. He holds seven UNM-affiliated U.S. issued patents.