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Postgraduate Training:
Cancer Medicinal Chemistry:
4 year programme funded by CRUK
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PhD Students
Sarah Boys
Sarah Boys (MChem Hons in Medicinal and Biological Chemistry with Industrial Experience, University of Edinburgh) joined the group in July 2007. She carried out her undergraduate project with Prof. D. Leigh at the University of Edinburgh, using [2]rotaxanes to investigate dipolar interactions. She is now funded by the BBSRC, and has developed new synthetic routes for the synthesis of propargyl-tagged tyrosine derivatives which she has incorporated into peptide leads generated through phage display and also the NRPS natural product bisebromoamide, to enable "click"-based investigations into their biological targets. Sarah has presented her work at 10th Tetrahedron Symposium (Paris, 2009), the RSC Bioorganic Postgraduate Meeting (Leeds, 2009) and RSC Challenges in Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology (ISACS1) (San Francisco, 2010). Sarah was selected to present her work at the highly prestigious Pfizer/RSC postgraduate poster competition (London, 2009).
Nicolas Petitjean
Nicolas Petitjean (Chem Eng Dip & MSc Organic Chemistry, Strasbourg, France) joined the group in September 2007. During his MSc studies, one of his projects was to synthesise a part of the natural product stigmatelline A, under the supervision of Prof. Daniel Uguen at the ECPM, University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg. His interest in the interface between biology and chemistry led him to the four-year Cancer Medicinal Chemistry training programme funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) at the University of Edinburgh. In his first year at Edinburgh he gained an MSc (Res) in Life Sciences and he carried out three projects related to cancer, working with Prof. Ted Hupp, Dr Michael Greaney and Prof. Kathryn Ball. Nicolas started his PhD in September 2008 working on the discovery and development of inhibitors of the oncogenic protein MDM2 in collaboration with Prof. Kathryn Ball from the Cell Signalling Unit at the Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre. Following the discovery of a 12-mer peptide able to inhibit the ubiquitination of p53 by MDM2, he is now developing cy”click” peptoid-peptide hybrids as derivatives of this peptide. Nicolas has presented his work at the CHI Drug Discovery Chemistry conference (San Diego, 2010) and the 12th Tetrahedron Symposium (Sitges, 2011).
Helen Niblock
Helen Niblock (MChem Hons Chemistry with Industrial Experience, University of York) joined the group in September 2008. She carried out her industrial placement in her final undergraduate year in a Medicinal Chemistry laboratory at GSK. After graduating she worked as a Research Associate at Cellzome (Cambridge) where her work was directed towards the synthesis of inhibitors of the PI3K gamma and mTOR kinases. Helen's studentship is affiliated with the CRUK Medicinal Chemistry training centre, and her PhD research is focused on the synthesis and biological evaluation of novel disorazole C1 analogues. Helen has successfully synthesised the racemic C(1)-C(9) oxazole containing fragment of disorazole C1 and designed a novel route to the chiral fragment which has successfully been adapted to synthesise two heterocyclic analogue fragments. Helen has presented her work at RSC 21st International Symposium: Synthesis in Organic Chemistry (Oxford, 2009), the RSC Challenges in Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology (ISACS1) (San Francisco, 2010) and the 12th Tetrahedron Symposium (Sitges, 2011).
Lore Troalen
Lore Troalen joined the group in January 2009, on a 3 year secondment from the National Museums Scotland (NMS) Conservation and Analytical Research Department. Lore gained her Maîtrise de Chimie Organique from University of Sciences Paris XI, Orsay in 2001, and further (MSc & MPhil level) qualifications in Archaeo Materials Science from the University of Bordeaux in 2002 & 2003. Prior to taking up her position at NMS she had conducted research on numerous objects in Museum collections in France, Germany and Malta using X-Ray Fluorescence, Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-Ray Radiography, X-ray Diffraction, Infrared Spectroscopy and Raman Spectroscopy. Lore's research work is focused on the development of new techniques (including UPLC and PIXE) for the study of dyestuffs and mordants on textiles and ethnographic materials. Her project has allowed her to work with early English tapestries from the Burrell Collection (Glasgow) and the Bodleian Library (Oxford), as well as quillwork which forms part of the Native American collection at NMS. Lore has presented her work at the 42nd IUPAC Congress (Glasgow, 2009), the 29th Dyes in History and Archaeology Meeting (Lisbon, 2010), the Glasgow Museums Annual Conference (2009) and the Science and Heritage Programme Collaborative Research Studentship Symposium (Oxford, 2010).
Sarah Thomas
Sarah Thomas (MChem Hons in Medicinal and Biological Chemistry with Industrial Experience, University of Edinburgh) joined the group in September 2009. She carried out her undergraduate project with Prof. D. Leigh at the University of Edinburgh, building a novel [2]rotaxane to act as a carbon monoxide shuttle. She is now funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and developing new synthetic tools and analytical methods for the study of protein-glycosaminoglycan interactions. Sarah is also undertaking the first Postgraduate Development Scholarship in Public Engagement in the School of Chemistry. Sarah has presented her work at the 16th European Carbohydrate Symposium (Sorrento, 2011) and the 40th Scottish Organic Regional Meeting (Strathclyde, 2011). Sarah has also presented her "Glowing Diagnosis" Workshop at the Dunbar Science Festival and Edinburgh International Science Festival, and taken part in a number of public engagement activities for CRUK.
Kevin Ralston
Kevin Ralston (BSc Hons Chemistry, University of Edinburgh) joined the group in 2010. During his undergraduate project he looked at the chemistry of a novel 1H-pyrrol-3(2H)-one synthesised via flash vacuum pyrolysis under the supervision of Prof. Hamish McNab. In 2010 Kevin joined the group on the 4-year EaStCHEM Cancer Medicinal Chemistry training programme funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK). In his first year he carried out three cancer-related projects under the supervision of Dr. Richard Meehan, Dr. Michael Greaney and Dr. Alison Hulme and gained an MSc (Res) in Biomedical Sciences. Kevin started his PhD in September 2010 and is currently working on the synthesis of the antitubulin polyketide disorazole C1 and its analogues. Kevin presented a poster on his work at the RSC 22nd International Symposium: Synthesis in Organic Chemistry (Cambridge, 2011).
Heather Johnston
Heather Johnston (MChem Hons in Chemistry with Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Heriot-Watt University) joined the group in September 2010. She carried out her undergraduate project with Dr. Nicola Howarth at Heriot-Watt University, synthesising an alternate bridging unit for a bisintercalator with potential anti-tumour activity. She is now funded by the EPSRC and CRUK, and is working on the total synthesis of bisebromoamide and a number of analogues for SAR and affinity chromatography studies. As part of her project she is developing new stereocontrolled routes to one of the amino acid components of this natural product, 4-methyl-proline, with the goal of developing a synthetic route which might be applied to other 4-substituted proline derivatives. Heather has presented her work at the 12th Tetrahedron Symposium (Sitges, 2011).
Alex Saunders
Alex Saunders (MChem Hons Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, University of Edinburgh) joined the group in September 2011. He carried out his undergraduate project with Dr. Alison Hulme at the University of Edinburgh, contributing to the groups synthetic programme directed towards disorazole C1 and its analogues. He is now jointly funded by Cancer Research UK and the EPSRC, and is investigating the medicinal chemistry applications of the Copper Alkyne-Azide Cycloaddition (CuAAC) "click" reaction. As part of his project he is targeting the development of new methods for "stapling" peptide inhibitors of the p53-MDM2 interaction.
Faye Cruickshank
Faye Cruickshank (MChem Hons in Medicinal and Biological Chemistry with Industrial Experience, University of Edinburgh) joined the group in Sept 2011. She carried out her undergraduate project with Dr. Perdita Barran at the University of Edinburgh, using p53 to investigate intrinsic disorder in proteins. She has now joined the EaStCHEM Cancer Medicinal Chemistry training programme funded by Cancer Research UK, and is developing new techniques and phases for affinity chromatography to use in "click" chemistry applications.