We design innovative chemical platforms that combine the strengths of antibodies, peptides and small molecules to create more selective, programmable and effective medicines.
Our research focuses on applying synthetic chemistry to targeted drug delivery, protein degradation and peptide therapeutics.
It is organised into three work clusters:
Work Cluster 1: Antibody Conjugates
Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) have transformed targeted cancer therapy by combining the selectivity of antibodies with the potency of highly active therapeutic payloads.
Our research explores multifunctional therapeutic architectures that enable controlled delivery of diverse payloads while improving stability, selectivity and therapeutic performance.
We are particularly interested in understanding how conjugate architecture influences biological activity and in developing chemically programmable platforms that can be adapted to a wide range of therapeutic modalities. Beyond oncology, the synthetic concepts we develop have the potential to benefit many classes of targeted bioconjugates.
Highlighted work:
→ Nature Protocols 2026
→ Bioconjugation Methods (book chapter) 2026
→ Chem Sci 2025
→ Chem Comm 2023
Work Cluster 2: Peptide Therapeutics
Peptides are emerging as an exciting class of therapeutics capable of addressing biological targets that are often inaccessible to conventional small molecules. Our research develops innovative peptide technologies for therapeutic discovery and targeted drug delivery by combining peptide macrocyclisation and late-stage functionalisation.
We create stable and programmable macrocyclic peptide scaffolds with applications ranging from receptor-targeting ligands and peptide therapeutics to advanced delivery systems. By controlling peptide structure, topology and molecular architecture, we aim to expand the chemical space available for next-generation peptide medicines and create versatile platforms that can be tailored for diverse biomedical applications.
Highlighted work:
→ Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2026
→ Chem. Eur. J. 2026
→ Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023
→ Chem Sci 2023
Work Cluster 3: Targeted Protein Degradation
Targeted protein degradation represents a new therapeutic paradigm that eliminates disease-causing proteins instead of simply inhibiting their function. Our research develops chemical approaches that harness the cell’s own protein degradation machinery through novel degrader architectures and programmable delivery strategies.
We are interested in designing degraders with improved selectivity, intracellular activity and therapeutic efficacy, as well as integrating them with antibody- and peptide-based delivery systems. By combining synthetic chemistry with chemical biology, we aim to create next-generation degrader technologies that expand the range of therapeutically accessible targets and provide new solutions for diseases that remain difficult to treat using conventional approaches.
Highlighted work:
→ BJOC 2026
→ Eur J Med Chem 2022
→ Chem Comm 2019