You’ve identified a promising therapeutic target. But how do you turn that discovery into a potential new medicine?
Join QEDDI and IMB EMCRA and SIMBA for an interactive drug discovery workshop exploring the journey from target selection to preclinical candidate, and the decisions that shape what happens along the way.
Hear from experts working across peptide and small molecule drug discovery as they unpack how targets and modalities are selected, how promising hits are developed into potential candidates, and how teams manage risk throughout the discovery process.
Then put it into practice. Working in small groups alongside EMCR and QEDDI facilitators, you’ll assess a therapeutic target and work through the process of selecting a preclinical candidate.
Whether you’re curious about where your research could lead or already have a therapeutic target in mind, this workshop will give you a practical look at what it takes to move an idea closer to translation.
Monday 23 November 2026
1:30–5:00pm
IMB Seminar Rooms 3.142 and 3.146, Level 3
Afternoon tea will be provided.
Register now
What you’ll explore:
How to select a therapeutic target and choose the right modality
Peptide versus small molecule drug discovery
Target product profiles and screening strategies
Hit identification and hit-to-lead development
Pharmacology, ADME and safety considerations
How to reduce risk when selecting a preclinical candidate
What a regulatory package looks like and why it matters during discovery
Speakers and facilitators
The workshop brings together drug discovery, commercialisation and industry expertise from QEDDI, UniQuest, Protagonist and UQ, including:
Greg Bourne, VP Chemistry, Protagonist
Brian Dymock, Head of QEDDI
Andrew Harvey, Head of Strategic Partnerships
Grant Stuchbury, QEDDI Team Leader
Ash Upadhyaya, QEDDI Drug Discovery Scientist
Jacek Kwiatkowski, QEDDI Medicinal Chemist
Idalia Ridley, Director, Life Science Commercialisation, UniQuest
