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.

test tubes in lab environment
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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:
 

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.

Read about our 2021 impact case studies

Head of Division

Deputy Head of Division

Academic staff

person

Professor Sir Michael Ferguson

Regius Professor of Life Sciences and Interim Dean

Professor Sir Michael is an expert on the biochemistry of protozoan parasites, the molecular details of infection in general and on drug discovery for infectious and non-infectious diseases. He serves on the boards of the Medicines for Malaria Venture and UK Biobank and previously of the Wellcome Trust.

[email protected]

+44 (0)1382 384219

Mike Ferguson
View Professor Sir Michael Ferguson

person

Professor Mark Field

Professor of Cell Biology and Parasitology

Professor Field’s work principally exploits the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei and efforts to leverage genomics and proteomics resources to provide insight into virulence mechanisms and basic cell biology, with specific interests in protein transport systems and nuclear organisation. He has interests in bioinformatics, graphic design, functional genomics and eukaryotic evolutionary biology.

[email protected]

+44 (0)1382 384860

Portrait photo of Mark Field
View Professor Mark Field

Associates

Emeritus

Key contacts

Name Role Email
Shona McInroy Lab Manager [email protected]
Jamie Curran Lab Manager [email protected]
Susan Ross Senior Technical Support [email protected]
Kirstie Hughes PA to Prof Ian Gilbert [email protected]
Diane Purves PA to Prof Alessio Ciulli [email protected]
Debbie Tarver Executive Administrator and Team Leader [email protected]
Deborah Moorjani Secretary [email protected]
Professor David Gray Public Engagement Champion [email protected]
Scott Hendry Senior Technical Support [email protected]
Cavan Short Lab Management Support Technician [email protected]
Euan Waugh Lab Management Support Technician [email protected]
Margo Petrie Senior Division Secretary [email protected]
Megan Findlay Senior Division Secretary [email protected]
Paige Nell Division Secretary [email protected]

Publications

View Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery publications

Stories

News

DNDi Project of the Year 2024 for Life Sciences researchers

School of Life Sciences Professor Susan Wyllie and colleagues have been recognized by Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) as part of the team awarded DNDi 2024 Project of the Year in pre-clinical research

Published on 6 November 2024

News

10th Anniversary of the SLS Discovery Centre

It has been ten years since the Discovery Centre opened. Professor Sir Mike Ferguson looks back at how the Centre came to fruition and what has taken place since then.

Published on 24 October 2024

View all stories