Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery (BCDD)
Improving our understanding of pathogen biology and transforming drug discovery for both infectious and non-infectious diseases; making the previously undruggable, druggable.
We target lethal and debilitating pathogens, address urgent unmet patient needs, and deliver new medicines; working in a multi-disciplinary, highly collaborative and well-resourced research environment. Delivery is enabled through technological innovation, research excellence, and partnerships with research and development organisations and pharmaceutical companies.
World-leading centres and teams
BCDD incorporates the following world-leading centres and teams:
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research
A hub for innovation in neglected tropical disease drug discovery. - Drug Discovery Unit
Translates basic science into pre-clinical drug candidates. - Mode-of-Action group
Undertakes drug target deconvolution studies with anti-infective compounds. - Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation
Revolutionising drug discovery by making the previously undruggable, druggable.
Core strengths
Cross-cutting core strengths and innovation areas include:
- drug-resistance
- chemical biology
- glycobiology
- medicinal chemistry
- gene expression control mechanisms
- genetic manipulation
- high-throughput screening
- proteomics
- molecular interactions
- imaging
- informatics
Infectious diseases
Infectious diseases we target include:
- African trypanosomiasis
- leishmaniasis
- Chagas disease
- malaria
- cryptosporidiosis
- cryptococcosis
- schistosomiasis
- tuberculosis
Training and mentoring are embedded at all levels. Several highly successful spinouts and start-ups have attracted major investment.
- Tropical diseases [African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, malaria]
- New approaches to drug discovery [Targeted protein degradation, Exscientia]
Head of Division
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Academic staff
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Associates
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Key contacts
Name | Role | |
---|---|---|
Shona McInroy | Lab Manager | bcdd-chemlabmgt@dundee.ac.uk |
Jamie Curran | Lab Manager | bcdd-biollabmgt@dundee.ac.uk |
Susan Ross | Senior Technical Support | bcdd-chemlabmgt@dundee.ac.uk |
Kirstie Hughes | PA to Prof Ian Gilbert | k.y.hughes@dundee.ac.uk |
Diane Purves | PA to Prof Alessio Ciulli | d.purves@dundee.ac.uk |
Debbie Tarver | Executive Administrator and Team Leader | d.tarver@dundee.ac.uk |
Deborah Moorjani | Secretary | BCDD-Admin@dundee.ac.uk |
Professor David Gray | Public Engagement Champion | d.w.gray@dundee.ac.uk |
Scott Hendry | Senior Technical Support | bcdd-biollabmgt@dundee.ac.uk |
Cavan Short | Lab Management Support Technician | bcdd-bioltech@dundee.ac.uk |
Euan Waugh | Lab Management Support Technician | bcdd-bioltech@dundee.ac.uk |
Margo Petrie | Senior Division Secretary | BCDD-Admin@dundee.ac.uk |
Megan Findlay | Senior Division Secretary | mfindlay002@dundee.ac.uk |
Publications
News
Feature
Find out what a mechanical engineer does and learn about career options.
Feature
As part of ongoing work to promote liver health, the School of Medicine at the University of Dundee is supporting World Liver Day 2024 today (19 April) through its latest contribution to tackling liver diseases.
News
Jade Bleau, PhD, a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the School of Life Sciences and the James Hutton Institute has been named as a winner in this year’s Black in Plant Science Research Excellence Awards.
Press release
A new guide outlining how the concept of a 20-minute neighbourhood can be applied in practice has been created by an urban design expert at the University of Dundee
News
The School of Life Sciences (SLS) have recently welcomed the first two recipients of scholarships for Black British students on our Masters by Research (MbR) course.
News
Coeliac UK have awarded £250,000 to Dr Mahima Swamy for a 3-year research project that they believe will take us further along the ‘Journey to a Cure’ for coeliac disease.
News
Professor Vasilis Gorgoulis of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has been appointed Chair of Clinical Molecular Pathology in the School of Medicine at the University of Dundee.