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
![Portrait photo of David Horn](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2021-10/David-Horn.jpg?itok=CbgZbK4n&h=d354d113)
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Academic staff
![Mahmood Ahmed](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2024-04/Mahmood-Ahmed.jpg?itok=nboDoK3J&h=949ea557)
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![Beatriz Baragaña](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2023-04/beatriz_baragana-2.jpg?itok=5TYeSj27&h=448b7633)
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![Alessio Ciulli](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2023-03/alessio_ciulli.jpg?itok=tPgzL3EB&h=b02be90c)
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![Will Farnaby](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2023-01/William-Farnaby.jpg?itok=nTttIaGa&h=ef5babfb)
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![Mike Ferguson](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2023-05/mike-ferguson.jpg?itok=jWfZgyCM&h=4f0bb328)
![Portrait photo of Mark Field](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2021-10/Mark-Field.jpg?itok=Ai3vaJrY&h=428c8fce)
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![Portrait photo of Ian Gilbert](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2021-10/Ian-Gilbert.jpg?itok=KBtkRuz8&h=8e991751)
person
![Portrait photo of David Gray](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2021-10/David-Gray.jpg?itok=pHVlzCKB&h=e5ed79fd)
person
![Portrait photo of David Gray](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2021-10/David-Gray.jpg?itok=pHVlzCKB&h=e5ed79fd)
person
![Portrait photo of David Gray](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2021-10/David-Gray.jpg?itok=pHVlzCKB&h=e5ed79fd)
person
![Portrait photo of David Gray](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2021-10/David-Gray.jpg?itok=pHVlzCKB&h=e5ed79fd)
person
![Marcus Lee](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2023-03/marcus_lee.jpg?itok=5PcgzBEo&h=1e321afd)
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![Mattie Pawlowic](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2024-06/Mattie-Pawlowic.jpg?itok=0w0r3gh7&h=72346217)
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![Portrait photo of Kevin Reid](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2019-09/kevin-reid.jpg?itok=XBOlvcQK&h=56afca49)
person
![Portrait photo of Ulrich Zachariae](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2021-10/ulrich-zachariae.jpg?itok=cAIT6PfW&h=ad250337)
person
![Mike Bodkin](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2023-07/mike-bodkin.jpg?itok=cg-esNT_&h=a8f81697)
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Associates
![Portrait photo of Art Crossman](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2021-10/Crossman-Art.jpg?itok=8y_QZNxn&h=ddc448b9)
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![Portrait photo of Melissa D'Ascenzio](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2022-10/Melissa-D%27Ascenzio-2.jpg?itok=Y_lidgtj)
person
![Portrait photo of Stephen Kelley](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2019-12/stephen-kelley.jpg?itok=E3d0ACw4&h=bbc6217f)
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![Portrait photo of Jason Swedlow](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2021-10/Jason-Swedlow.jpg?itok=pWHxCxLa&h=fcf09bde)
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Emeritus
![Alan Fairlamb](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2023-03/alan_fairlamb.jpg?itok=8nBwGyxM&h=0f6b2dca)
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![Alan Fairlamb](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2023-03/alan_fairlamb.jpg?itok=8nBwGyxM&h=0f6b2dca)
person
![portrait of Irwin McLean](/sites/default/files/styles/card_portrait/public/2021-10/02_McLean_AR_2_230x290sq_adobespark.png?h=1ea4f0a9&itok=CEWi0w3b)
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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 |
Paige Nell | Division Secretary | pnell001@dundee.ac.uk |
Publications
Stories
![Ingo Hein, Jens Januschke and Stephen Land. Marios Stavridis and Susan Wyllie](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2024-06/Professors-SLS-2024.jpg?itok=ZFr8uIKA&h=b342b868)
News
Ingo Hein, Jens Januschke, Stephen Land, Marios Stavridis and Susan Wyllie have been promoted to Personal Chair (Professor) as part of the 2023-24 Annual Review process for academic and research staff.
![Ulrich Zachariae and Dominik Gurvic](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2024-05/ulrich-zachariae-dominik-gurvic.jpg?itok=8OeL_rP3&h=8e7329d7)
News
Research from the School of Life Sciences hopes to accelerate the drug discovery process by providing key data that will aid in the design of new treatments to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Press release
Some of Scotland’s brightest business prospects are preparing for an exciting future after being crowned winners of a major Scottish competition.
News
Review of the Year 2023 took place this week with the Dean, Julian Blow sharing the highlights of activity within the School from 2023.
![A close-up of tcruzi bacteria](/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2024-01/Tcruzi_image_adg8105.png?h=60a9e832&itok=SQXoHU-X)
Press release
Breakthrough research at the University of Dundee may lead to treatments that make two deadly parasitic infections a thing of the past.
![Clockwise from top left - David Horn, Joana Faria, Michele Tinti](/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-12/horn-lab-new-paper.png?h=142d1be2&itok=4rUukMvd)
News
A team at the University of Dundee and University of York has determined how a highly selective protein bridge allows cells to express a single gene from a large gene family.
![Five people stand on an upper floor of the Life Sciences building, with their backs to a barrier.](http://cdn-acquia.dundee.ac.uk/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-09/image.jpg?itok=1QSEozEH&h=854a7be2)
News
A collaboration between the research laboratories of Dr Mattie Pawlowic and Dr Susan Wyllie in the Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research at School of Life Sciences has generated a new tool that can be used for studying Cryptosporidium.