It provides a major contribution to the University’s research in drug discovery and globalises its work in this field through:

• high quality and expansion of postdoctoral training
• access to state-of-the-art screening technologies
• multidisciplinary research
• collaborations with the University’s overseas campuses
• collaborative research programmes
• overseas partnerships with small and medium enterprises (SMEs), contract research organisations (CROs), pharmaceutical companies and universities

Business partnerships

The University will establish partnerships with a range of businesses and already has well-established links with major pharmaceutical companies, such as:

• Pfizer
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Novartis
• AstraZeneca

Key academic leads

• Academic Champion: Professor Stephen Hill, School of Biomedical Sciences: molecular pharmacology; screening
• Business Development Executive: Dr Zoe Lawson

Other key academics

• Professor John Atherton, School of Clinical Sciences: gastrointestinal biomedical research unit
• Professor David Brook, School of Biology: human genetics
• Dr Susan Huxtable, Research Innovation Services: intellectual property rights (IPR); interface with pharma
• Professor Alan Knox, School of Clinical Sciences: respiratory biomedical research unit
• Professor Chris Moody, School of Chemistry: natural products chemistry
• Professor Sue Watson, School of Clinical Sciences: preclinical oncology; absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicology (ADMET); interface with CROs
• Professor Paul Williams, School of Molecular Medical Sciences: infection; screening
• Dr Chris Denning, Clinical Sciences: human stem cell biology
• Professor Peter Fischer, School of Pharmacy: drug discovery, medicinal chemistry