The International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC) will honor Tao Che, PhD, with the INRC Young Investigator Award at its upcoming 2025 annual meeting, taking place from July 8-11 in Bologna, Italy.
The INRC is the premier annual meeting for opioid researchers and clinicians, providing a global platform to share advancements in opioid pharmacology and function. A core philosophy of the INRC is fostering the next generation of leaders by actively engaging young scientists and showcasing their contributions. The INRC Young Investigator Award recognizes early-career researchers from academia, industry, private institutions, and government organizations who have made significant contributions to opioid science, embodying the ideals of the INRC founders.
“I am deeply honored to receive the INRC Young Investigator Award. This recognition is not only a reflection of my work and my research team, but also of the incredible support and collaboration I’ve received from mentors and colleagues,” said Che. “I look forward to continuing to contribute to advancing our understanding of opioid pharmacology and function.”
Che earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wuhan University in China before completing his PhD in Biochemistry at Case Western Reserve University. He then joined the Roth Lab at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill as a postdoctoral researcher, where he focused on opioid drugs and their receptors. Notably, he achieved a significant milestone by determining the first active-state structure of the kappa opioid receptor. Additionally, his research has shed light on the intricate mechanisms by which opioids produce desirable and undesirable activities via receptor binding—pivotal for understanding opioid receptor pharmacology.
Che is an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine and a faculty member at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology, where his research aims to understand the molecular mechanisms of opioid receptor signaling. His goal is to achieve an atomic-level understanding of opioid receptor activation and to develop chemical and synthetic biologic tools to address opioid-related challenges.
“Tao Che has been pivotal in breaking new ground in the field of kappa opioid receptor biology, and he is highly deserving of this award,” said Amynah Pradhan, PhD, director of the Center for Clinical Pharmacology.
Join us in congratulating Dr. Che on receiving the INRC Young Investigator Award!