Dr. Kenneth MacLeod

Dr. Kenneth MacLeod is DMPK Technology Lead in the Drug Discovery Unit at the University of Dundee (DDU-UoD), UK. With extensive experience from 15 years in academia and contract research of developing novel in vitro, in vivo and bioanalytical approaches to tackle DMPK problems, Dr. MacLeod joined the DDU-UoD in 2020 to implement these methodologies in anti-infective drug discovery. Dr. MacLeod is currently involved with several academic / industrial collaborative programmes in Chagas disease, malaria, tuberculosis, schistosomiasis and cryptosporidiosis.

DMPK methodologies for the acceleration of Chagas disease drug discovery

Up to 7 million people worldwide are infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. There are currently only two approved treatments, both of which are effective if given soon after infection but are less so at later stages, and are associated with high incidence of adverse reactions. New treatments are urgently needed. At the University of Dundee Drug Discovery Unit, we aim to combine basic biology research with early drug discovery capabilities to deliver preclinical candidate compounds. One of our main areas of activity is the development of new methodologies related to drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic (DMPK) property optimisation. Here, I will describe the innovative in vivo, in silico and analytical techniques that we are currently implementing within our standard DMPK workflow to overcome common barriers to compound progression, understand parasite distribution, and to enable prediction of in vivo efficacy.

Come have a lunch with us and meet two ACS editors in another edition of ACS on Campus: Lori Ferrins – Topic Editor, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry; and Carolina Horta – Associate Editor, ACS Omega. The event will be part of 11th BrazMedChem and 9th BCNP programs. We will discuss valuable tips on how to prepare your manuscript in an efffective way as well as what our editors expect about an impactful paper. In addition, we will talk about Open Access and its impact on the visibility and democratization of scientific knowledge. The ACS on Campus will be held on Oct 25 at 12 PM (local time). All attendees will recieve a lunch box and a certificate. Register here: cvent.me/4K1qLP #ACSonCampus