Chemistry

I graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1999 with a Masters degree in Natural Sciences, specialising in Chemistry.  I stayed on in Cambridge to complete a PhD under the supervision of Prof. Andrew Holmes, investigating how palladium-catalysed reactions can be conducted using environmentally benign carbon dioxide as an alternative to traditional organic solvents. 

After completing my PhD in 2003, I spent two and a half years as a medicinal chemist at the Cambridge based biotech company Astex Technology (which became Astex Therapeutics in 2005).  During this time I worked on a number of oncology drug discovery projects. 
I moved to The University of Manchester in November 2005, taking up a position as a postdoctoral research associate in Prof. Pat Bailey’s group.  I then moved with Pat to Keele University in 2008.

My research interests are synthetic organic chemistry, medicinal and natural product chemistry and drug discovery.

In our group we are currently working on developing synthetic routes to the ajmaline family of indole alkaloids, natural products isolated from the roots of Rauwolfia serpentine.  A key goal is the total synthesis of (+)-ajmaline itself, an anti-arrhythmic agent with an intricate cage-like structure.

We are also investigating methods to improve the oral bioavailability of drug molecules by targetting them towards PepT1 - one of the body's natural transporter proteins. 

See our Research Group's website for more information.

CHE-00027: General and Organic Chemistry

CHE-00029: General and Organic Chemistry for Health

CHE-10043: Making Organic Molecules

CHE-20001: Organic Synthesis and Chirality

CHE-20005: Drug Design based on Biological Targets

EDU-10049: Organic Reactions

I am active in promoting the understanding of what molecules are through hands-on outreach activities.  I run the Molecules Network - a group of schools committed to molecules based science outreach in their communities. 

See the Make-it-Molecular website for more information.