Aashish Manglik is awarded the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for revealing the conformational complexity of G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs), transforming how scientists understand cellular signaling. His work illuminates the fundamental principles of molecular recognition across biological systems, establishing new foundations for therapeutic discovery in modern medicine.

“The central goal of my research program is to uncover how we sense and respond to our external environment, focusing on the vast array of cell surface receptor proteins that detect, discriminate, and transduce diverse stimuli,” Manglik says. “We aim to understand fundamental sensory biology and build tools to precisely manipulate human physiology, offering new therapeutic strategies.”

Born in India, Manglik’s work focuses on how cells sense and respond to their environment, which bridges structural biology, biochemistry, and pharmacology.

His interest in scientific research began in high school: After working in a lab, Manglik concluded that executing and overseeing scientific discovery was far more interesting than reading about it. As an undergraduate at Washington University in St. Louis, Manglik was encouraged by his biochemistry professor to consider a long-term career in STEM, gently nudging him towards structural biology.

Now an associate professor of biochemistry at the University of California, San Francisco, Manglik’s research has fundamentally changed how scientists view GPCRs, the cellular switches that detect molecules outside of the cell. These receptors are responsible for cell activation of internal pathway signals that control a vast range of physiological processes including sensory perception, neurotransmission, and hormone regulation. 

Through his work, Manglik revealed that these receptors can change their three-dimensional shape in distinct ways that lead to particular outcomes. This process, known as conformational flexibility, explains the complexity of cellular signaling and opens the door to medicines designed to precisely tune cellular communication.

Manglik has also probed the chemical logic of molecular recognition across biology, from the specificity of opioids and adrenaline to the encoding of millions of odors by limited receptor sets. His work decoding these diverse strategies has illuminated fundamental principles of sensory biology.

Manglik is the founder of two biotechnology companies, Stipple Bio and Epiodyne, translating his discoveries into therapeutic applications.

Awards and Accomplishments

DARPA Young Faculty Award (2024)
Bowes Biomedical Investigator Award (2024)
UCSF Byers Award in Basic Science (2024)
Amgen Young Investigator Award (2022)
Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator (2022)
Mallinckrodt Scholar (2021)
Vallee Scholar (2021)
Searle Scholar (2019)
Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship (2018)
Pew Biomedical Scholar (2018)
International Narcotics Research Conference Young Investigator Award (2017)
NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (2016)
Scientific American’s 30 under 30 (2013)
American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship (2011)
Spector Award for Best Undergraduate Biology Honors Thesis at Washington University (2008)