Steering Committee of the EFMC Chemical Biology Initiative in Basel

How did you get interested in Medicinal Chemistry?

After my A-levels, I started my professional career with a vocational training as laboratory technician and spent two thirds in a Medicinal Chemistry laboratory at nowadays Sanofi. My female laboratory head was so inspiring to me, and I really enjoyed synthetic chemistry, so I started studying chemistry in Frankfurt after accomplishment of the training.

I did my PhD at the ETHZ in the group of Prof. Karl-Heinz Altmann on a total synthesis topic “Resorcylic Lactone L-783277 as a New Lead Structure for Kinase Inhibition - Total Synthesis and SAR Studies“ and continued my academic career with a postdoctoral stay with Prof. Steven Ley in Cambridge/UK, again working on a total synthesis project.

What is your current position?

I am co-leading the Medicinal Chemistry Department in Darmstadt as a Director Medicinal Chemistry. In addition, I am a research project leader. My research interests are Oncology/Immuno-Oncology/Fragment-based drug discovery/Chemical Biology/Degrader. 

How would you explain what your research area is to non-scientists?

We develop new drugs for patients suffering from cancer. Whereas our area of expertise is at the very beginning of this process, namely identifying what goes wrong in the indication of interest and identifying chemical structures that can be used to fix the mis-functioning of proteins or other cellular targets.

What do you like best about your work?

I am a passionate researcher and people manager that enjoys helping my direct reports to grow out of their comfort zone. I love working with people especially with scientists and to do something that impacts patients’ life for the good. 

What kind of tasks does your work involve?

Listen to people, understand what they need to solve their problems and help them to self-help, look at research projects and understand what the next critical step is to be investigated and enable the project teams to go for it. Read literature, attend conferences, understand what others do and come up with ideas how this could be helpful for our research.

All this requires emotional intelligence, scientific expertise, communication and influencing skills. 

What do you consider your greatest achievement in your scientific career?

I am proud of being a meaningful support to brilliant scientists in order to progress projects into the clinics to meet patients’ needs.

Which of your papers are you most proud of and why?

Alexander J. Oelke, David J. France, Tatjana Hofmann, Georg Wuitschik, Steven V. Ley: Total Synthesis of Chloptosin; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49 (35), 6129-6142. This was just very hard work…

What are the features of a successful PhD student or postdoc?

To believe in themselves, to be curious, to be open minded and to be really motivated and hard-working to achieve their goals. 

How would you advise scientists facing unfair situations during their scientific career?

This might happen. However, be aware that you are on the driver seat, you will make it as long as you really want to achieve your goals...Never, never give up.

What is the most embarrassing thing you have done in the lab while doing experiments, e.g., explosions?

Once I tripped over a dry ice container and destroyed it. I was really embarrassed as it happened during an internship with Novartis. However, my lab head was kind and calmed me down.

What are your recommendations for a book, podcast, website, blog, YouTube channel or film?

https://drughunter.com/ and http://practicalfragments.blogspot.com/

Which field of medicinal chemistry do you consider the most promising for the future?

Identification of tools for difficult-to-drug targets and developing them onto in vivo suitable compounds for target validation is the most important area for the success of drug discovery in future.

What would you expect to be the next major breakthrough in medicinal chemistry?

Making use of AI in that sense that it really suggests new structures and creates something new. 

AI in Chemistry: 5^th RCS-BMCS /RSC-CICAG Artificial Intelligence in Chemistry

1^st  and 2^nd September 2022, Churchill College, Cambridge and virtual

Website:  https://www.rscbmcs.org/events/ai-in-chemistry-2/

Synopsis:  Artificial Intelligence is presently experiencing a renaissance in development of new methods and practical applications to ongoing challenges in Chemistry. Following the successes of three annual “Artificial Intelligence in Chemistry” meetings starting in 2018, we are pleased to announce that the Biological & Medicinal Chemistry Sector (BMCS) and Chemical Information & Computer Applications Group (CICAG) of the Royal Society of Chemistry are once again organising a conference to present the current efforts in applying these new methods. The meeting will be held over two days and combine aspects of artificial intelligence and deep machine learning methods to applications in chemistry

8^th RSC/SCI symposium on GPCRs in Medicinal Chemistry

5^th to 7^th October 2022, Verona, Italy

The call for poster abstracts will close on Thursday, 11^th August
Closing date for bursary application is Tuesday, 23^rd August

Website:  https://www.rscbmcs.org/events/gpcrs/

Synopsis: The key role of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in human disease underpins their importance to modern medicine. We are pleased to be holding this 8th meeting in the series on GPCR drug discovery, which will combine cutting edge medicinal chemistry with innovative structural biology and novel drug design approaches.

RSC-BMCS Targeted Protein Degradation: “Three’s a crowd ?”
16^th and 17^th November 2022, Virtual

Abstract submission will be open soon, please keep checking website for updates

Website: https://www.rscbmcs.org/events/protdeg22/

Synopsis: Targeted protein degradation is a rapidly developing field of drug discovery which is expanding the proportion of human proteins which are tractable drug targets. Whereas conventional small molecules are designed to block the activity of a protein, targeted protein degraders act by harnessing biological pathways to remove the protein entirely. This conference will showcase presentations showing the application and development of degradation technologies such as molecular glues and heterobifunctional degraders (e.g. PROTACs)