Chemistry and human therapeutics

Our group investigates molecular mechanisms of chemical reactions, biological processes, disease development and drug action. Understanding how molecules interact, how chemical and biological reactions work and how structure influences activity enables us to design, synthesise and evaluate enzyme inhibitors, receptor antagonists and protein-binding ligands as new drugs for cancer, infectious diseases, inflammatory disorders, type 2 diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease. Chemists in our group discover new drugs. Pharmacologists, biochemists and cell biologists in the group study actions on human cells and in animal models of diseases.

Traineeships, honours and PhD projects include

• Drug design and discovery (computer-assisted, structure, dynamics, virtual techniques)
• Medicinal chemistry (organic synthesis, NMR structures, drug development)
• Drug mechanisms of action (cell biology, signalling pathways, enzymology, GPCRs)
• Pharmacology (rodent models of inflammatory diseases, metabolic diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancers, Alzheimer’s disease)