Stuart Flanagan

I’ve always had a keen interest in science, right from when I was a child, but my passion for chemistry was really sparked during my A-levels. This led me toward an MChem course at the University of Southampton, commencing in 1996. As part of that course, I spent six months in the city of Strasbourg in the laboratory of Nobel-Laureate Jean-Marie Lehn, synthesising ligands for the construction of supramolecular lattices, a formative part of my progression towards becoming a synthetic chemist. After my MChem, I completed a PhD in Organic Chemistry between 2000 and 2003 at the University of Southampton in the group of Professor David Harrowven, developing new radical methodology, conducting natural product synthesis and making lifelong friends in the process. Upon completing my PhD, I joined Evotec in 2004 as a Senior Scientist in their Discovery Chemistry Department. My career duly progressed and in my current position as Group Leader I direct teams of medicinal chemists on multiple drug discovery projects.

During my time at Evotec, my research has covered multiple (and endlessly fascinating) therapeutic areas, from anti-infectives (HIV) to anti-thrombotics, chronic pain and inflammatory conditions, women’s health (endometriosis) and oncology. All of this research has entailed working with multiple collaborative partners in multidisciplinary teams, where we strive to employ cutting-edge medicinal chemistry techniques to deliver effective solutions for our partners.