Professor Mahmood Ahmed

Mahmood completed his Doctorate in Synthetic Chemistry at Imperial College London. Since then he has built up considerable experience in drug discovery from across Pharma, Biotech and Academia. He started his industrial career in the early 2000s in preclinical drug discovery (medicinal chemistry) with GSK for 15 years, initially at Harlow and then in Singapore. While there, he also helped to establish a new integrated drug discovery centre. He then transitioned to Academia working at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, establishing a small drug discovery engine to support early-stage projects as well as advising the University Technology Transfer Office on life sciences commercialisation opportunities. Mahmood subsequently went on to co-found two biotechnology companies, leading the scientific strategy as CSO and raising Series A funding for both. Over his career to date, Mahmood has contributed to the identification and progression of multiple clinical stage assets.

Mahmood joined the University of Dundee in early 2024 to head up Medicinal Chemistry within the Drug Discovery Unit (DDU). Mahmood has more recently taken on the role of Innovative Targets Portfolio (ITP) lead, working closely with former lead Professor David Gray on the transition and is evolving a longer term strategy focused on CNS-Women’s Health-Oncology; a key ambition is to enhance the number of Pharma Partnerships and progress projects towards advanced Lead Optimisation.