World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Biology and Biochemistry

D-Index
50
Citations
8749
World Ranking
17661
National Ranking
7246

Overview

Francis S. Willard is affiliated with Eli Lilly in the United States and has contributed extensively to research in the fields of medicine and biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology. Their work predominantly focuses on molecular biology, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, surgery, cellular and molecular neuroscience, and pharmacology.

The scientist's research topics include diabetes treatment and management, receptor mechanisms and signaling, pancreatic function and diabetes, neuropeptides and animal physiology, protein kinase regulation and GTPase signaling, pharmacology and obesity treatment, and metabolism related to diabetes and cancer.

Recent publications authored or involving Francis S. Willard include:

  • "Tirzepatide is an imbalanced and biased dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist" (2020, JCI Insight)
  • "LY3437943, a novel triple glucagon, GIP, and GLP-1 receptor agonist for glycemic control and weight loss: From discovery to clinical proof of concept" (2022, Cell Metabolism)
  • "Activation of the GLP-1 receptor by a non-peptidic agonist" (2020, Nature)
  • "Structural basis for GLP-1 receptor activation by LY3502970, an orally active nonpeptide agonist" (2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
  • "The incretin co-agonist tirzepatide requires GIPR for hormone secretion from human islets" (2023, Nature Metabolism)

Frequent co-authors working alongside Willard include:

  • David P. Siderovski
  • Kyle W. Sloop
  • Adam J. Kimple
  • Aaron D. Showalter
  • David B. Wainscott

The most common venues for Willard's publications are:

  • UNC Libraries
  • Diabetes
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
  • JCI Insight

Willard's research integrates detailed studies of receptor mechanisms, particularly involving glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors, which play essential roles in glycemic control and metabolic regulation.

Best Publications

  • G-protein signaling: back to the future

    C. R. McCudden;M. D. Hains;R. J. Kimple;D. P. Siderovski

  • The GAPs, GEFs, and GDIs of heterotrimeric G-protein alpha subunits.

    David P. Siderovski;Francis S. Willard

  • A Seven-Transmembrane RGS Protein That Modulates Plant Cell Proliferation

    Jin Gui Chen;Francis S. Willard;Jirong Huang;Jiansheng Liang

  • Translation of Polarity Cues into Asymmetric Spindle Positioning in Caenorhabditis elegans Embryos.

    Kelly Colombo;Stephan W. Grill;Randall J. Kimple;Francis S. Willard

  • Crystal structure of the human PRMT5:MEP50 complex

    Stephen Antonysamy;Zahid Bonday;Robert M. Campbell;Brandon Doyle

  • Tirzepatide is an imbalanced and biased dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist

    Francis S. Willard;Jonathan D. Douros;Maria B.N. Gabe;Aaron D. Showalter

  • GTPase acceleration as the rate-limiting step in Arabidopsis G protein-coupled sugar signaling

    Christopher A. Johnston;J. Philip Taylor;Yajun Gao;Adam J. Kimple

  • Return of the GDI: The GoLoco Motif in Cell Division

    Francis S. Willard;Randall J. Kimple;David P. Siderovski

  • Structural diversity in the RGS domain and its interaction with heterotrimeric G protein alpha-subunits.

    Meera Soundararajan;Francis S. Willard;Adam J. Kimple;Andrew P. Turnbull

  • RIC-8 Is Required for GPR-1/2-Dependent Gα Function during Asymmetric Division of C. elegans Embryos

    Katayoun Afshar;Francis S. Willard;Kelly Colombo;Christopher A. Johnston

  • Rgs1 regulates multiple Gα subunits in Magnaporthe pathogenesis, asexual growth and thigmotropism

    Hao Liu;Angayarkanni Suresh;Francis S Willard;David P Siderovski

  • Role of the p70S6K pathway in regulating the actin cytoskeleton and cell migration

    Leise A Berven;Francis S Willard;Michael F Crouch

  • Novel Small Molecule Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Stimulates Insulin Secretion in Rodents and From Human Islets

    Kyle W. Sloop;Francis S. Willard;Martin B. Brenner;James Ficorilli

  • Comment on "A G Protein–Coupled Receptor Is a Plasma Membrane Receptor for the Plant Hormone Abscisic Acid"

    Christopher A. Johnston;Brenda R. Temple;Jin Gui Chen;Yajun Gao

  • Activation of the GLP-1 receptor by a non-peptidic agonist

    Peishen Zhao;Yi Lynn Liang;Matthew J. Belousoff;Giuseppe Deganutti

  • Chronic olanzapine treatment causes differential expression of genes in frontal cortex of rats as revealed by DNA microarray technique.

    S Hossein Fatemi;Teri J Reutiman;Timothy D Folsom;Christopher Bell

  • Structural basis for GLP-1 receptor activation by LY3502970, an orally active nonpeptide agonist.

    Takahiro Kawai;Bingfa Sun;Hitoshi Yoshino;Dan Feng

  • MEK, ERK, and p90RSK are present on mitotic tubulin in Swiss 3T3 cells: A role for the MAP kinase pathway in regulating mitotic exit

    Francis S. Willard;Michael F. Crouch

  • Regulators of G-protein Signaling accelerate GPCR signaling kinetics and govern sensitivity solely by accelerating GTPase activity

    Nevin A. Lambert;Christopher A. Johnston;Christopher A. Johnston;Steven D. Cappell;Sudhakiranmayi Kuravi

  • Cortical localization of the Gα protein GPA-16 requires RIC-8 function during C. elegans asymmetric cell division

    Katayoun Afshar;Francis S. Willard;Kelly Colombo;David P. Siderovski

Frequent Co-Authors

David P. Siderovski
David P. Siderovski West Virginia University
Denise Wootten
Denise Wootten Monash University
Patrick M. Sexton
Patrick M. Sexton Monash University
Arthur Christopoulos
Arthur Christopoulos Monash University
Pierre Gönczy
Pierre Gönczy École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Anton Simeonov
Anton Simeonov National Institutes of Health
Ajit Jadhav
Ajit Jadhav Pfizer (Germany)
James Inglese
James Inglese National Institutes of Health
Mischa Machius
Mischa Machius The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Alan M. Jones
Alan M. Jones University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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