Rate My Professor Debbie Hay

Professor Debbie Hay is a distinguished molecular pharmacologist serving as Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology within the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Otago, part of the Division of Health Sciences. She obtained her BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology from the University of Sheffield and her PhD in Molecular Pharmacology from Imperial College London in 2002, with a thesis investigating the calcitonin receptor-like receptor and receptor activity modifying proteins. After completing her doctorate, Hay spent 18 years at the University of Auckland, rising to the rank of full Professor, before relocating to the University of Otago in 2020. In 2023, she was appointed Associate Dean (Space) for the Division of Health Sciences.

Hay's research centers on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), with a particular emphasis on the calcitonin/CGRP family receptors, including those for CGRP, amylin, and adrenomedullin. Her laboratory utilizes advanced molecular pharmacological approaches to elucidate receptor signaling mechanisms and identify novel therapeutic targets for diseases such as migraine, diabetes, and obesity. She is a highly cited researcher with over 10,000 citations and has made seminal contributions to understanding GPCR modulation by receptor activity-modifying proteins. Key publications include "CGRP physiology, pharmacology, and therapeutic targets: migraine and beyond" (Physiological Reviews, 2023, co-authored with A.F. Russo), "Update on the pharmacology of calcitonin/CGRP family of peptides: IUPHAR Review 25" (British Journal of Pharmacology, 2018), "A narrative review of the calcitonin peptide family and associated receptors as migraine targets: Calcitonin gene-related peptide and beyond" (2022), and "Pharmacological characterisation of erenumab, Aimovig, at two calcitonin gene-related peptide responsive receptors" (2023). Hay has received numerous honors, including election as a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi (FRSNZ) in 2022 for her innovative contributions to GPCR research, Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society (FBPhS) in 2018, James Cook Research Fellowship from the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2016, Novartis Prize for published work from the British Pharmacological Society in 2013, and British Journal of Pharmacology Editor Performance Award in 2016. She serves as Editor for the British Journal of Pharmacology, Chair of the NC-IUPHAR subcommittee on calcitonin family receptors, and corresponding member of NC-IUPHAR. Her influential work has advanced migraine therapeutics and heightened public awareness of the condition in New Zealand.