Rebecca Butler

Biography

I graduated from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 2000 with a MChem (Hons, 1st class) in Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry. I then went on to complete a PhD at the University of Nottingham in synthetic organic chemistry where I worked towards the total synthesis of Gelsemine under the supervision of Prof Nigel Simpkins. My next role was as a post-doctoral researcher working with Nobel Laureate Prof K. Barry Sharpless at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, looking at developing simple, reliable and effective reactions. I then joined Novartis as an industrial Medicinal Chemist in 2006 where I remained until joining the School of Pharmacy, here at Wolverhampton, in 2014.  These experiences mean that I am an expert in synthetic chemistry, organic chemistry, drug discovery and pharmaceutical chemistry. I thoroughly enjoy teaching these disciplines to the students on the MPharm, BSc/MSci Pharmaceutical Science, HND Pharmaceutical Science, BSc/MChem Chemistry, Foundation and MSc degree courses. 

Research Interest

Learning Spaces in Higher Education: Having designed the new suite for team based learning, I am now interested, and carry out research, to determine how we make the most of our spaces and how to design and use effective learning spaces to enhance the student experience and learning outcomes. Lung retention of drugs for respiratory conditions: My focus as an industrial scientist was in respiratory diseases and my research looks to discover novel methods to predict lung retention using in vitro methods. Currently these studies have to be completed in animals and there is much need to develop a cell based system which can be used to assess new drugs in the discovery process.