Mike Edwards

Biography

I was appointed as a lecturer at Keele in the summer of 2011. I obtained first my undergraduate degree (MChem) from the University of Bath undertaking a final year project, synthesising  anti-malarial agents, under the supervision of Prof. Malcolm Sainsbury. Having loved my 4 years in Bath I stayed to complete a PhD working with Prof. Jon Williams. My research pioneered a new approach to C-C bond formation using alcohols as alkylating agents and transition metal catalysis to “borrow hydrogen” – this remains an area of worldwide research interest today.

Following this I undertook two postdoctoral research stints, first at the University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign (USA) working with Prof. Scott Denmark in the area of Lewis base catalysis and organoelement chemistry, and more recently with Prof Richard Taylor at the University of York working on the synthesis of natural products and biologically relevant heterocycles.

Research and scholarship

Scholarship

I’m interested in the following areas of chemical education and curriculum development:

(a) Student understanding and learning of organic reaction mechanisms
(b) Development of a modern medicinal chemistry curriculum
(c) The use of technology and digital resources to improve the student experience

Research

My research is targeted in the broad area of heterocycle synthesis and its application to medicinal chemistry. We aim to develop new and efficient methods to prepare interesting molecules and apply them to interesting problems, particularly as molecular probes. The current projects are of particular interest:

(a) Novel Anti-malarial agents (in collaboration with Tess Phillips, Paul Horrocks and Steve Allin)

We are investigating the synthesis and evaluation of alkaloids based on a series of heterocyclic templates which possess anti-malarial activity via novel mechanisms of action.

(b) Novel Anti-profilerative Cancer agents (with Jóhannes Reynisson)

We are investigating the synthesis of a range of novel thienopyridine derivatives for their ability to act as anti-proliferative cancer agents through inhibition of the Phospholipase C-γ (PLC-γ).

(c) Novel Antioxidant Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) Mimetics

The organoselenium heterocycle ebselen is a mimic of the enzyme Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx), a key element in the body’s defence against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidants. It has been investigated in phase III clinical trials for the treatment of reperfusion injury, but despite showing excellent in vitro activity it has limited in vivo activity. We are interested in the evaluation of alternative GPx mimetics based on selenium(IV) derivatives which have an alternative mechanism of action.

Teaching

I teach on both the Forensic Science and Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry degree programmes, in the following modules:

- CHE-10061: Practical and Professional Chemistry Skills

- CHE-10063: Chemical Structure and Reactivity

- CHE-20081: Principles of Drug Design

- FSC-20009: Drugs of Abuse (Module Leader)

- CHE-30046: Synoptic Topics in Chemistry (Module Leader)

- CHE-30050: Chemistry/Medicinal Chemistry Research Project

- CHE-30051: Chemistry/Medicinal Chemistry Dissertation

- CHE-30058: Mechanisms of Drug Action

- CHE-30060: Topics in Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry

- FSC-30017: Forensic Toxicology

- FSC-30025: Forensic Science Research Project (15 credit)

- CHE-40021: MChem Research Project

- CHE-40034: MChem Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry Research Project

I also teach and lead a faculty wide option module in first year:

- NAT-10001: Science and Society (Module Leader)