Gemma Nixon

Biography

Dr Gemma Nixon's research career began with the completion of a PhD for Dr Ian O’Neil (Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool) in 2006. She then completed a one year Post Doctoral position with Prof Paul O’Neill (Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool) working on endoperoxide antimalarials (funded by AntiMal) before joining the company Peakdale Molecular in Januray 2008. In March 2009 she began a Post Doctoral position at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) with Prof Steve Ward working on a Seeding Drug Discovery Malaria Project (funded by Wellcome Trust) before moving to a Scientific Team Leader role with Prof Giancarlo Biagini on an MRC DFPS funded TB Drug Development Program. In 2013 Gemma took up the role of Chemistry Team Leader on the AWOL II: Macrofilaricidial Drug Discovery Project at LSTM (funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)) whilst pursuing her own independent research interests. In April 2015 Gemma was appointed to a joint lectureship between the Department of Chemistry and the Institute of Translational Medicine and in May 2016 was awarded an MRC New Investigator Research Grant to investigate the 'Rational Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Benzimidazoles; Towards a Novel Therapy Selectively Targeting C. neoformans β-tubulin' Research interests include several areas of medicinal chemistry drug discovery and target identification. With a strong emphasis on development of novel therapies used in the treatment of tuberculosis, malaria, Cryptococcus neoformans and filariasis. Teaching interests include organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry from core principles through to their application in current drug discovery programmes

Research Interest

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world’s most deadly communicable diseases. In 2013 9.0 million people became infected with TB, of which 1.5 million died. With the emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively resistant (XDR) TB there is a need for new drug treatments with a novel mode of action. A small library of carbamoyl triazoles have been synthesised with replicating TB activities ranging from 80nM to 1µM, however blood stability issues are known to be an issue with this class of compound. The mode of action of these compounds within TB is also currently unknown. Activity based probes have been synthesised and are being used to determine the mode of action of these drugs which will in turn allow structure based design approaches to be undertaken in order to resolve the plasma stability issue whilst maintaining/improving potency, allowing the further development of this class of compound. The methodologies employed will then be utilised to determine the mode of action of other chemotypes with antituberculosis activity.