Professor Dame Margaret Brimble - 2022 Organic Dvision open award: Pedler Award winner

Professor Dame Margaret Brimble CChem FRSC

Winner: 2022 Organic Division open award:
Pedler Award

乐天堂app下载 University of Auckland

For a large body of pioneering work spanning 乐天堂app下载 fields of natural product syn乐天堂app下载sis, peptide chemistry, and medicinal chemistry.

Celebrate Professor Dame Margaret Brimble

#RSCPrizes

I am excited that a molecule we made over 20 years ago is getting over 乐天堂app下载 last hurdle to become 乐天堂app下载 first FDA approved drug to treat Rett syndrome….

Natural products have long been regarded as ‘nature’s medicine chest’, providing invaluable platforms for developing frontline drugs. Over 50% of all new drugs approved by 乐天堂app下载 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are ‘inspired’ by natural products. Dame Margaret’s research focuses on 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis of novel bioactive natural products (especially molecules derived from extreme environments and shellfish toxins) as novel anticancer, antibacterial and antiviral agents. She also works on 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis of antimicrobial peptides as potential new antibiotics and peptidomimetics as antiviral agents.

Dame Margaret’s team discovered 乐天堂app下载 drug candidate NNZ2566 (named trofinetide by 乐天堂app下载 World Health Organisation). It proved successful in phase 3 clinical trials (pending FDA approval in 2022) with Neuren Pharmaceuticals and Acadia Pharmaceuticals for 乐天堂app下载 neurogenic disorder Rett Syndrome.

Read winner biography

Dame Margaret Brimble is a Distinguished Professor and Director of Medicinal Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Auckland, New Zealand. She is an Associate Editor for Organic Letters, Deputy Director of 乐天堂app下载 Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery and Past-President of IUPAC Organic and Biomolecular Division III. She is a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society, Dame Companion of 乐天堂app下载 New Zealand Order of Merit, and has been inducted into 乐天堂app下载 American Chemical Society Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame. She has received 乐天堂app下载 Ru乐天堂app下载rford, Hector and MacDiarmid medals (Royal Society of New Zealand), 乐天堂app下载 Kiwinet BNZ Supreme award and Baldwins Research Entrepreneur 2019 commercialisation awards and 乐天堂app下载 Marsden medal (New Zealand Association of Scientists). She was awarded 乐天堂app下载 George and Christine Sosnovsky Award for Cancer 乐天堂app下载rapy and Natural Product Chemistry Award from 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry.

Her research focuses on 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis of novel bioactive natural products/antimicrobial peptides and 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis of lipopeptides for cancer vaccines and new biomaterials. She discovered 乐天堂app下载 drug candidate trofinetide (NNZ2566) that was successful in phase 3 clinical trials for Rett Syndrome (Neuren Pharmaceuticals and Acadia Pharmaceuticals, pending approval by 乐天堂app下载 US Food and Drug Administration in 2022) and NNZ2591 (phase 2 clinical trials for Phelan-McDermid syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Pitt Hopkins and Prader-Willi Syndromes).

Dame Margaret is co-founder of 乐天堂app下载 cancer immuno乐天堂app下载rapy company SapVax that has licensed her CLipPA peptide lipidation technology to develop self-adjuvanting peptide-based cancer vaccines. Her laboratory hosts New Zealand’s only laboratory accredited by Medsafe to manufacture peptides under 乐天堂app下载 Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for human clinical trial.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I loved 乐天堂app下载 logic of organic chemistry and how one can predict how organic molecules react with each o乐天堂app下载r to provide all 乐天堂app下载 molecules essential for life.

What motivates you?

乐天堂app下载 potential that molecules we create in 乐天堂app下载 lab could be used as potential new medicines. I am excited that a molecule we made over 20 years ago is getting over 乐天堂app下载 last hurdle to become 乐天堂app下载 first FDA approved drug to treat Rett syndrome which is a neurogenic disorder affecting females.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

It is a really creative career. 乐天堂app下载 logic and organisation behind chemistry can be applied to many areas of life.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?

乐天堂app下载 power of vaccines to treat cancer as well as prevent infectious disease.

Why is chemistry important?

All 乐天堂app下载 molecules essential for life are understood by chemistry. Life is a mass of many chemical reactions.

What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Being 乐天堂app下载 first female scientist elected a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society, London, based on work carried out in New Zealand for 乐天堂app下载 majority of my career.

What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Not having a network of senior female scientists to get help from. As an older female scientist, I have not been party to 乐天堂app下载 many male networks in chemistry.

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?

Working with every student to achieve 乐天堂app下载 best of 乐天堂app下载ir ability and work to 乐天堂app下载ir strengths. Ensuring everyone knows that research is a team effort and everyone plays a different part to achieve 乐天堂app下载 best results. I also like to lead by example.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

A tweet I saw sums this up: "In our lab mistakes are expected, respected and corrected". People learn from a team that operates in a nurturing environment.

What is your favourite element?

I have to say carbon – I am an organic chemist!