Sonia graduated in Organic Chemistry in June 1997 at the Universita' degli Studi di Palermo (Italy). The subject of her thesis was "Basic catalysis in reaction of aromatic nucleophilic substitution. Kinetic studies on some 2L-3 nitro-5X thiophenes with aniline in benzene"; this work was carried out under supervision of Prof. V. Frenna. In October of 1998 she joined Prof. Bradley's group, where she is studying towards a PhD. She is currently interested in developing new solid supports for solid phase synthesis. The subject of her research is sponsored by Avecia Outside of the lab, her interests include reading books and magazines, theatre, cinema and travelling.

 

Bordin was born and raised in South of Thailand. He obtained his B.Sc. at Ramkhamhaeng University in 1988 and then he worked in the Chemistry Department as a Research Assistant to Prof. Apichart Suksamrarn for one year. His work was concentrated in Natural Products Chemistry. After that, he received a Master Degree in Organic Chemistry, under the supervision of Prof. Yodhathai Thebtaranonth, at Mahidol University in 1994. He wrote his thesis on the subject of tartaric derivatives in a symmetric synthesis. He then returned to Ramkhamhaeng University where, between 1994-1997, he was a lecturer in the Chemistry Department. He taught Organic Chemistry and his research group was involved in the investigation of anti-malarial principles from the tubers of stephania species. In 1997, he received a scholarship from the Royal Thai Government and came to Southampton to study for a Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Mark Bradley.

 

 

Nutcha Chitkul was born in Phathalung, south of Thailand in 1967. She obtained BSC in chemistry in 1992. She did her fourth year project for Prof. A. Suksumrarn on investigation of chemical constitution of vitex grabata and partial synthesis of ecdysterriods. She worked for seven years in industry. Her work involved polyester and alkyd resin, water and wastewater system. She then joined the Bradley group in November 1998. Her research project involved the synthesis of tagging secondary amine on solid phase. She is now in her first year of M Phil/PhD, researching proteomic, microspheres, and oligonucleotide. Her other interests outside the lab include travelling, reading, dancing ,and she also enjoys swimming very much.

 

Mark graduated from Leeds University in June 1997 with a BSc (Hons) in Medicinal Chemistry. He then worked as a chemist for Nycomed Amersham for two and a half years before joining Prof. Bradley’s group in Oct 2000. He is currently studying for a PhD and the subject of his research is the development of new screening methodologies for combinatorial libraries. Outside the lab, Mark enjoys playing and watching football and socialising with his friends.

 

How Siew Eng was born in Malacca, Malaysia. She had graduated with a B. Sc (Honours) and obtained a M.Sc in Chemistry from the University Science of Malaysia , where she had done her research under the supervision of Professor Sam Teng Wah. She was a teacher at Matriculation Centre, University Science of Malaysia for almost eight years before becoming a lecturer at University Malaysia of Sabah in 1998, where she joined the Industrial Chemistry Program, School of Science & Technology and got involved in research on isolation of antioxidants from natural products . She is currently awarded a scholarship by the University Malaysia of Sabah for a PhD studentship under the supervision of Professor Mark Bradley. Her research is on the application of dendrimer in signal amplification. Her hobbies are jungle trekking and travelling.

 

Karin was born in the high coast area of Sweden, a small town by the name of Örnsköldsvik, some time during the previous millennium. She moved to London 1995 to undertake a Chemistry degree. In 1998 she graduated from University of London, King’s College. Thereafter she moved to Manchester where she worked for Professor Michael Sinnott on a project concerning the synthesis of an inactivator for cellobiohydrolase I. She completed a degree of Master of Philosophy in October 1999 and joined the Bradley Group shortly afterwards.

 

Iain was born in 1976 in Birmingham where his family still live. He studied at the University of Sheffield where he obtained an MCHEM in Chemistry with Study in Industry. His year out was spent working in the Medicinal Chemistry department at the SmithKline Beecham research laboratories in Harlow, Essex. During this time he lived in Welwyn Garden City YMCA, a truly eye opening experience. He joined the Bradley group in 1998 and is researching the combinatorial development of catalysts. In his free time, Iain enjoys playing guitar, playing and watching sports, reading, and of course going out drinking and dancing with his friends.

 

Katie was born in 1978 in North Wales and moved to Altrincham, Greater Manchester when she was 15 years old. She graduated with a BSc in Chemistry in July 2000 from the University of Southampton and has remained there to undertake a Ph.D in solid phase catalysis. Her interests include socialising, going to the cinema and aerobics.

 

James was born in Cambridge, England, in 1976. In 1995 he started his MChem at Southampton, believing local inclement weather and nice beaches. He did his third year project for Dr. J Kilburn on macrocyclic peptide-based receptors, and spent his work placement with Nycomed-Amersham in Cardiff, working on solid-phase dye synthesis. An interest in solid-phase synthesis, fuelled by his experiences in Cardiff, led him to a PhD in Combinatorial Chemistry with Professor Bradley in autumn 1999. He is currently working on design and construction of an inkjet dye library thanks to funding from the EPSRC and Avecia. Outside the lab, his interests include hill-walking, climbing and gastrophilia normally in that order.

 

 

Seán was born in Enniskillen, Ireland in 1975. He joined the Bradley group in September 1998, after graduating from Queen’s University Belfast with a degree in “Chemistry with extended studies in Europe”. This was a four year course and involved spending one year in France at the “Ecole Nationale superieure de chimie de Montpellier.” His year in France gave him the opportunity to travel around Europe and fuelled a desire to travel and see new things, leading him to Southampton. He is funded by a BBSRC industrial case award, collaborating with Antisoma plc, with cancer targeting peptides and combinatorial chemistry. Outside the lab, Seán (a big Van the man Morrison fan).enjoys playing guitar, travelling and cooking. He also “tries” to keep fit and enjoys Gaelic football with the local Southampton team, Southern Gaels.

 

 

David graduated from the University of Portsmouth in the summer of 1997. His course at Portsmouth was a sandwich degree in applied chemistry. Consequently, he worked for a year in industry, in Medicinal Chemistry at Astra Charnwood. He worked in the combinatorial chemistry team and subsequently developed an interest in all things solid phase and bioorganic. His work there was in a feasibility study into immuno-suppressants. His final year project at Portsmouth involved the synthesis of polymers for medical use.
This is David's third year at Southampton. In his first year he did an M.Res. in bioorganic chemistry. The project involved the synthesis of dehydroamino acids on the solid phase. He is now in his second year of a PhD, researching linker chemistry, and his work is funded by Eli Lilly.
His other interests outside chemistry include playing the guitar, golf, motor sport, a recent interest in the "cyber-punk" books of William Gibson, The Manic Street Preachers, alcohol, eating, sleeping and breathing.

 

 

Löic was born in 1972 in Lorient (France). He studied at Rennes University (France), where he obtained an M.Sc in biochemistry (1996) and a "D.E.A." of chemistry (1998). The subject was the development of a new way to obtain functional phospha-alkynes. He has been integrated into the Bradley group since January 1999. He is in his first year of a Ph.D, working on a project sponsored by Smithkline Beecham concerning molecular imprinting of polymers.
Löic's hobbies include a strong interest in martial arts (karate, kobudo, self-defence, tai chi chuan). He also likes tracking and reading (especially about Far Eastern countries). Löic's favourite food is fish, but not with chips!

 

 

Cecile was born in Saumur, a French town famous for its wines. She started to study at the University of Angers in Biology in 1993 before deciding to study Biochemistry in Rennes from where she received a Master degree in 1999. She has also worked in a University lab for a year on the synthesis of aminoesters, potential precursors of new imidazolines (antidepressants, antihistamines). During the summer 1999, she joined the Bradley group as a project student. She then started her PhD in October and is supported by Glaxo Wellcome. During her free time, she likes cooking, walking in the New Forest (collecting mushrooms), going to the cinema and visiting the country.

 

 

Neil Wells completed his B.Sc. at the University of Southampton in the summer of 1996. During that summer he worked on the solid phase synthesis of dendrimers as a project student for Professor Mark Bradley. He felt that the potential of the field was so exciting that he decided to stay and continue the work for another year. This lead to the award of an MRes. degree in 1997. Further details of that work are given in the Dendrimers section.
Neil decided that he wanted to move into a different area of research and has now dived into the field of Steroid Chemistry. Neil's project has an exciting feel to it and involves Dr Laurance Dinan from the Department of Biology at the University of Exeter and the American agrochemical company Rohm & Haas. Neil hopes to survive through the three years of research and emerge at the end of it with a Ph.D. degree.

 

 

Lu Shin joined the Bradley Group in September 2001 and hails from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. He graduated with a Batchelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) from the University of Nottingham in July 1997. His final-year project involved creating a combinatorial library of metalloprotease inhibitors under the supervision of Dr. W. C. Chan.