Current Group Members
Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI Building)
Viola Previtali
B.Sc. in Pharmacy, Università degli Studi di Milano (University of Milan). Viola is working on the design, synthesis and biochemical evaluation of novel guanidine-based allosteric inhibitors of the Raf-Mek kinases. Her work is funded by the School of Chemistry at TCD.
Former Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Cristina Trujillo
B.Sc. and PhD. in Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain). In collaboration with Prof. S. Connon: Computational studies on the mechanism of the organocatalytic mediated reaction between aldehydes and anhydrides. In collaboration with Prof. Eric Henon (U. Reims, France) development of a model of an ATP-containing BRAF kinase. Funded by an Ulysses award.
Dr. Fernando Blanco
The computational study of the interactions between guanidinium-like aromatic derivatives and DNA, both at a micro (guanidinium-aromatic bases interactions) and a macro level (docking and MD).
Dr. Alessandra Cordeiro
The design, synthesis and biophysical study of novel DNA-targeting dual intercalator/minor groove binders with an emphasis on acridine derivatives. Funded by the Fundación Ramón Escudero (Spain).
Dr. Fernando Rodriguez-Royo
Synthesis of new ligands of the Alpha1A-Adrenoceptor for the treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasmia. Funded by the Center for Synthesis and Biological Chemistry.
Former Ph.D. Students
Dr. Gemma Kinsella (Co-supervised with Prof. Graeme Watson)
Computational Study of the Alpha-1-Adrenoceptors and its ligands. Funded by HEA-PRTLI and TCD. Presently, Assistant Lecturer at the School of Food Science and Environmental Health (Ireland).
Dr. Jonathan Corcoran
Bis-guanidinium derivatives as novel Imidazole-2-IBS aliphatic ligands. Funded by HEA-PRTLI. Presently, Relationship Director at Santander Corporate Banking (UK).
Dr. Sergio Lopez-Fernandez (Co-supervised with Prof. Brian McMurry)
New derivatives of PaTrin 2 with dual action. Funded by the Irish Cancer Society. Presently in Logroño (Spain).
Dr. Berry Matijssen (Co-supervised with Dr. Graeme Watson)
Molecular Modelling Studies of the Alpha-1B and Alpha-1D-Adrenoceptor and its interaction with different agonists and antagonists. Funded by the HEA-PRTLI. Presently, Senior data scientist at SNS Bank (Netherlands).
Dr. Padraic Nagle
The design, synthesis and biochemical and biophysical study of novel DNA-targering dual intercalator/minor groove binders. Funded by the RFP-SFI. Presently, Technical Consultant at Scale-up Systems in Dublin (Ireland).
Dr. Daniel Hillebrand O'Donovan
The rational design, modelling, and synthesis of new alpha 2 antagonist based anti-depressants. Funded by IRCSET Ireland. Presently, Medicinal Chemist at AstraZeneca (UK).
Dr. Amila Kahvedzic
Design, synthesis and biochemical and biophysical study of novel DNA-targering dual intercalator/minor groove binders; Funded by the RFP-SFI. Presently Postdoctoral researcher at Medizinische Universität Wien (Austria).
Dr. Aoife Flood
Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of new thiophene based anti-depressants. Funded by IRCSET Ireland. Presently working at Henckel (Ireland).
Dr. Caitriona McKeever
Design, synthesis, biochemical and biophysical study of novel DNA-targeting dual intercalator/minor groove binders. Funded by the School of Chemistry, TCD. Presently working as Technical Services Chemist at Pfizer (Ireland).
Dr. Brendan Kelly
Rational design, modelling, and synthesis of new amino-heterocylic based alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonists as potential anti-depressants. Funded by TCD and the School of Chemistry. Presently, Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford University in Computational Drug Discovery (US).
Dr. Elena Diez-Cecilia
Design, synthesis and biochemical study of novel Tyrosine-kinases inhibitors guanidine analogues of Sorafenib. Funded by IRC-Ireland. Presently, partner at SPIRE Bioventures, lecturer and researcher at San Francisco State University and business developer and market analyst at Ecmictics Biotechnology Inc. (US).
Aaron Keogh
B.A. in Medicinal Chemistry, TCD. Aaron works in the preparation and pharmacological evaluation of selective alpha2C-adrenoceptor antagonists as potential new therapies for Schizophrenia. His work is funded by an IRC-STEM postgraduate scholarship.
Dr. Filippo Prencipe
PhD and MSc in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Ferrara (Italy). In collaboration with Prof. Joan Geoghegan and Dr. Marian Brennan. Filippo works in the preparation of new anti-infectives as topical treatment for MRSA infection, by means of a rational structure-based drug design approach. Funded by SFI-TIDA.
Novel synthetic routes to guanidines of biological interest as potential drugs and synthesis of natural products. Funded by the School of Chemistry, TCD. Awarded a Fulbright Student Award (2013) to work during 6 months in the Scripps Research Institute (USA). Presently, Analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co. (UK).
Preparation and pharmacological study of rationally designed alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonists as potential anti-depressants. Funded by TCD and the School of Chemistry at TCD. Presently, CVMD Pharmaceutical Analyst at GlobalData (UK).
Design, synthesis and biochemical study of Platinum complexes of guanidine based minor-groove binders. In collaboratiion with Dr. C. Marmion (RCSI, Ireland). Funded by a SFI. Presently, Process Development Chemist at Almac (UK)
Padraig Norton
BSc in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland). MSc Student at the Royal College of surgeons Ireland (Co-supervised with Dr. Marian Brennan and Prof. Joan Geoghegan). Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that can produce serious life-threatening diseases such as MRSA. Padraig works in the design of more potent derivatives as inhibitors of S. aureus colonization by means of a rational structure-based drug design approach. Funded by SFI-TIDA
Dr. Jagdeep Grover
PhD. in Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research Mohali, India (2015). Worked as Postdoctoral Fellow at Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (Oct. 2015 to Sept. 2016). Jagdeep works on the design and synthesis of porphyrin-based portmanteau ligands targeting guanine-quadruplexes. His work is funded by an IRC Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Postgraduate Students
Postdoctoral Researchers
Group Photos
Along The Years
Summer 2008
Rebecca Amet
B.A. in Immunology, TCD. Rebecca works in the biochemical study and development of anti-tumour drugs targeting KRAS promoter G-quadruplexes as well as the MAPK pathway in Multiple Myeloma. She is carrying out her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Daniela Zisterer (Biochemistry, TCD, main supervisor) and Prof. Tony McElligott, Medicine, TCD). Her work is funded by a John Scott PhD fellowship.
Yemi Rahman
B.Sc. in Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology, UCD. Yemi works in the design, synthesis and biophysically/biochemically evaluation of new guanidine-like derivatives with antiprotozoal activity against Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania donovani and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. His work is funded by an IRC-STEM postgraduate scholarship.
Helene Mihigo
B.Sc. in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Chemistry, Maynooth University. Helene works in the preparation of anticancer targeted-therapies by designing, synthesising and biochemically testing new amidine-like derivatives as inhibitors of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK (MAPK) signalling pathway. Her work is funded by an IRC-STEM postgraduate scholarship.
Autumn 2016
Autumn 2015
Summer 2015
Autumn 2014
Summer 2013
Autumn 2013
Autumn 2007
Autumn 2005