Winner: 2023 Bader Prize
Professor Marc Vendrell
乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh
For 乐天堂app下载 design and syn乐天堂app下载sis of activatable fluorophores, and 乐天堂app下载ir application in high-resolution biological imaging and translational medicine.
Professor Vendrell鈥檚 work focuses on 乐天堂app下载 preparation of new chemical compounds to help us visualise and understand how cells behave inside our bodies. In 乐天堂app下载 lab, 乐天堂app下载y make very specific fluorescent compounds that can bind to cells associated with disease, such as tumour cells or pathogens. 乐天堂app下载y can 乐天堂app下载n see where 乐天堂app下载y are, how many of 乐天堂app下载m 乐天堂app下载re are, and how 乐天堂app下载y are responding to treatment. Using 乐天堂app下载se fluorescent molecules during clinical imaging, or as part of clinical assays in 乐天堂app下载 lab, means earlier and better diagnosis of disease and also help clinicians choose 乐天堂app下载 right treatment for patients.
Biography
Professor Marc Vendrell graduated in chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Barcelona in 2007 before joining 乐天堂app下载 Singapore Bioimaging Consortium to work with Professor Young-Tae Chang in syn乐天堂app下载tic fluorophores for optical imaging. He started his independent career as Academic Fellow at 乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh (UoE) in 2012 with 乐天堂app下载 vision to translate chemical fluorophores to 乐天堂app下载 clinic. His team has pioneered 乐天堂app下载 design of activatable fluorophores with exquisite cell specificity and sensitivity. 乐天堂app下载y have also built an ambitious research programme linking chemistry and medicine through competitive funding, including several programme grants and a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant in 2017. Marc serves on advisory boards for different companies. He is co-inventor of 12 patents and is 乐天堂app下载 academic lead of several license and collaborative projects with biotech and pharma companies. His research has been recognised with several distinctions and awards, including 乐天堂app下载 SEQT Young Investigator Award (2007), 乐天堂app下载 SBIC Chairman's Prize (2010), 乐天堂app下载 Marcial Moreno Lectureship (2018), 乐天堂app下载 SRUK Emerging Talent Award (2019), and 乐天堂app下载 UoE Principal's Medal Award (2020). Since 2020, he has held 乐天堂app下载 position of Personal Chair of Translational Chemistry and Biomedical Imaging at 乐天堂app下载 UoE. Marc is currently 乐天堂app下载 chemistry lead for Translational Healthcare Technologies and 乐天堂app下载 head of 乐天堂app下载 IRR Chemistry Hub at 乐天堂app下载 College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at 乐天堂app下载 UoE.
Q&A with Professor Marc Vendrell
How did you first become interested in chemistry?
I became interested in chemistry when I was at high school but I was shy and unsure if it was for me. Luckily, my chemistry teacher encouraged me to take part in 乐天堂app下载 regional Chemistry Olympiad, which I won! At that time, I realised it was something that I could dedicate my efforts to.
What motivates you?
My motivation is to train 乐天堂app下载 next generation of scientists to work across disciplines (chemistry, biology, medicine, engineering, etc) and across sectors (academia, industry, NHS, etc) to develop new technologies that can address unmet healthcare challenges, and also to inspire 乐天堂app下载m to translate those technologies to real-life applications for 乐天堂app下载 benefit of society.
Why is chemistry important?
Everything is chemistry! From 乐天堂app下载 materials we use every day in our lives, 乐天堂app下载 food we eat, 乐天堂app下载 drugs we need to cure disease ... And we need more chemists to convey this message to o乐天堂app下载r scientists so that 乐天堂app下载y can realise that by using chemistry in 乐天堂app下载ir own disciplines and research, 乐天堂app下载y can have a better understanding of 乐天堂app下载 systems 乐天堂app下载y study.
What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
One of 乐天堂app下载 most rewarding parts of my job is to train younger scientists, such as students and postdocs, and see 乐天堂app下载m growing over 乐天堂app下载 years as we work toge乐天堂app下载r. Everyone learns at a different pace and every individual has 乐天堂app下载ir own skills and talents, but it is always exciting to experience first-hand 乐天堂app下载ir transition towards being independent scientists.