In this inaugural year of the program the theme was G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) pharmacology. GPCRs constitute the largest family of membrane proteins in eukaryotes and are intimately involved in cellular signaling . As such, they play a pivotal role in a variety of cellular processes from controlling neuronal and hormonal signaling to regulating cell homeostasis. Around 35% of all pharmaceuticals target GPCRs, and since only ∼12% of GPCRs have been subjected to large-scale drug screens, they hold enormous potential for the development of new drugs . Heterotrimeric G proteins connect GPCRs to intracellular signaling networks enabling them to receive and process extracellular signals. Students focused primarily on the Go protein, which is the most abundant heterotrimeric Gprotein in the central nervous system . As such, alterations in signaling by the Go protein is implicated in neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. This served as an ideal system for achieving the pedagogic goals of the INSPIRE program.