Academic collaborators

Professor Bruno Linclau

Professor Bruno Linclau (Lic(Chem) PhD) graduated from Ghent University, Belgium in 1992, where he also completed his PhD, in 1996, working on the total synthesis of Vitamin D analogues. This was followed by a postdoctoral stay with Professor D P Curran in Pittsburgh PA (USA) (1997–1999). There he worked on fluorous chemistry applications in combinatorial chemistry. He joined the Chemistry at Southampton University as a lecturer in August 1999, followed by a promotion to Senior Lecturer in 2005, to Reader in 2013, and to Professor in 2015. In 2021, he moved back to Ghent University as an Odysseus Research Professor.

The current focus of his research is how fluorination of organic compounds can modify fundamental physical properties, such lipophilicity and conformation, and how fluorination influences important properties of adjacent functional groups, for example hydrogen bond properties. The ability to finetune such properties is of great importance in a drug discovery context. This is investigated using a wide variety of molecules of biological interest, such as carbohydrates, steroids and small molecules including the amino acid proline.

Professor Kim Watson

Kim Watson is Professor in Structural Biochemistry at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, UK. Kim completed her BSc (Hons) degree in Canada at Queen’s University, Department of Chemistry, where she specialised in analytical chemistry. She then completed an MSc at Queen’s in Crystallography, with a keen interest in the structure of novel carbohydrates. Kim worked as a Research Assistant at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where she transitioned to protein crystallography, on a collaborative project with NASA, growing protein crystals in zero gravity. Kim received her DPhil from Oxford University, as a Commonwealth Scholar, where she studied Molecular Biophysics under the supervision of Prof Dame Louise Johnson, returning to her long-term interest in carbohydrate binding proteins and health.

While at Oxford, Kim held a 3-year RD Lawrence Research Fellowship with Diabetes UK and a 5-year Lister Fellowship with the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine where she retains Former Fellow status. She holds an honorary research group leader role at the Harwell Research Complex, Diamond Light Source. Kim is a Chartered Biologist, Fellow the Royal Society of Biology, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Kim has significant expertise in translational research and experience leading multi-disciplinary, multi-site research with Biopharma and Biotech Industries. Her research has focused on structure-based and computer-aided approaches to understand how proteins function and how that function translates to health; initiating and leading numerous cross-collaborative efforts. Kim has successfully supervised more than 30 post-graduate students since 1998, published >70 papers (h-index = 27) and 5 book chapters, has 27 protein structures published in the Protein Data Bank, and has secured in excess of £4M research funding at Reading during the last 5 years, largely from Biopharma and Biotech Industries, as well as RCUK funding.

Professor Helen Osborn

Helen Osborn (FRSC, SRPharmS, SFHEA) is Professor of Biomedicinal Chemistry at the School of Pharmacy, University of Reading. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of Oxford and her PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Bristol. She then undertook post-doctoral research at the University of Cambridge and this involved the development of methodology to allow efficient access to carbohydrates of biological importance. Professor Osborn was appointed to a Lectureship in Organic Chemistry at the University of Reading in 1996 and was subsequently promoted to a Readership in Medicinal Chemistry in 2003 and a Professorship in Biomedicinal Chemistry in 2006.

Her research interests, which have resulted in more than 90 outputs in peer reviewed journals, include the development of new chemical and enzymatic methods for the treatment of life threatening diseases. Within her current research programmes, particular emphasis is placed on the synthesis and biological analysis of i) enzyme activated prodrugs for the selective treatment of cancer and bacterial infections, ii) novel flavonoid derivatives, iii) carbohydrate based biomarkers, and iv) polymer drug conjugates. In addition to her research and teaching responsibilities, Professor Osborn i) is Deputy Head of the School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy at the University of Reading, ii) is external examiner for a number of national and international undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, iii) is a member of the editorial board for a number of international journals, and iv) regularly reviews grant applications and outputs for national and international funding bodies and journals.