Join us for the first public lecture in the 2017-18 series.

October's talk is from Prof David Haigh, Visiting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University

The Language of Chemistry in Drug Discovery

During the last fifty years, healthcare has been revolutionised by the introduction of many new medicines. These medicines have been designed to offer effective treatment options across the spectrum of human illnesses and health issues, ranging from acute treatments such as those for infectious disease to therapies for chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases; medicines for mental health or cancer, oral contraceptives and treatments for sexual health. Modern medicines have touched the lives of every one of us, yet drug discovery remains one of the most enigmatic, complex and challenging of all human endeavours.

So how are new medicines discovered? Aimed at the non-specialist, this talk will illustrate some of the concepts of the discovery process. Particular emphasis will be given to the important contribution made by chemistry and how an understanding of the chemical principles which underpin the interaction between drug molecules and biological systems is one of the fundamental cornerstones of modern biomedical science.

Refreshments will be available from 17:30 with the talk starting at 18:00. This will last around 45 minutes and will be followed by a Q&A session and a drinks reception. Please email engage@mmu.ac.uk if you have any questions.