Meet the PDRAs
4 Dec 2024
Dr Benedetta Bassetti, Dr Jasmine Catlow, Dr Shuyuan Zhang
Our Vision
Drug discovery and manufacturing stages often operate in isolation, leading to costly and time-consuming rework during transition. Our project aims to bridge this gap by developing high-throughput, automated screening platforms that harness real-time, process-relevant data—an underutilised resource in the field. By integrating this data with advanced machine learning models, we will optimise the synthesis and scale-up of pharmaceutical compounds.
Spanning three sites—Leeds, Liverpool, and Cambridge—this collaboration combines complementary expertise to tackle the challenge from multiple angles. Our ultimate goal is to streamline the transition from drug discovery to manufacturing, meeting the growing demand for personalised medicine and sustainable production practices.
Key innovations include microfluidic flow reactors for rapid, high-quality data generation, inline analytics, and AI-powered tools for delocalised and autonomous optimisation of reaction conditions. These cutting-edge technologies will predict ideal synthesis conditions, continuously refine process models, and drastically reduce experimental time and costs.
Objectives:
Efficiency in Experimentation: Precise control of reaction conditions, rapid optimisation, and parallelisation to accelerate workflows.
Handling Mixed Variables: A comprehensive approach to exploring chemical space by integrating continuous and categorical variables.
Data-Driven Approaches: Digitally linking insights from reaction screening with process optimisation.
Cost & Time Reduction: Minimising material usage while significantly accelerating optimisation processes to save resources.
Enhanced Performance: Combining technologies to improve yields and overall efficiency of chemical reactions.
Rapid Transition to Manufacturing: Streamlining pharmaceutical development for faster, more effective scale-up.
With this vision, we’re redefining how discovery and manufacturing converge, paving the way for faster, more efficient drug production.
But, after this brief introduction to OptiMed, are you not curious about who the people working on this brand new project are?
Postdoctoral Researchers
Hi! I’m Benedetta
.. here’s a few things you might need to know about me!
My background is in pharmaceutical and organic chemistry.
I graduated in Pharmacy from the University of Pavia in 2018, under the supervision of Prof. Simona Collina and Miguel Munoz-Torrero (ERSAMUS+ @ Universitat de Barcelona), conducting a thesis on the synthesis and characterisation of novel anti-Alzheimer drug candidates.
I obtained a II Level Master Degree in Drug Design and Development at the University of Pavia in 2020, after completing a placement at Indena SpA, working on the continuous flow synthesis of cannabinoids.
That’s when I first met my two future main scientific interests: flow chemistry and cannabinoids!
After that (and COVID), I carried out a PhD in Chemical Sciences with Prof. Alessandro Palmieri at the University of Camerino in collaboration with the same company. During that incredible journey I worked on the synthesis of biologically active molecules deriving from plants sources, on the reactivity of nitro-compounds, and on the synthesis of functionalised heterocycles starting from acyclic precursors, exploiting enabling technologies and strategies for the development of sustainable processes (one-pot synthesis, MAOS, flow chemistry, photochemistry, SSR).
During my PhD, I also strengthened my knowledge on flow chemistry spending an abroad period at CCFLOW @ University of Graz, working on the continuous selective synthesis of ∆9-THC and ∆8-THC, under the supervision of Prof. C. Oliver Kappe and Dr Christopher Hone.
I completed my PhD in April 2024 and, after a brief study fellowship at the University of Camerino, I joined Dr Adam Clayton and Prof. Richard Bourne at the University of Leeds as a postdoctoral researcher, working on the development of automated flow platform for reaction screening and process optimisation.
In my spare time, I love to read and write (mostly poems), hike mountains, explore nature and take outdoor adventures, cook for my friends and family, and eat. I love dogs and taking photos to make memories.
Hi, I’m Jaz!
First things first: representation matters. I am a first-generation, queer, autistic, chronically ill, disabled scientist (who was also a young carer). And I am always happy to chat with people about my experience in science!
My background is in organic synthesis and computational chemistry. I completed my MChem at the University of Sheffield, with a final year project focussing on reaction development and optimisation for Chan Lam etherification. I then stayed at the University of Sheffield for my PhD, with a project focused on the reactions, synthesis and computational studies of synthetic building blocks. Towards the end of my PhD, I organised my own placement at AstraZeneca, exploring reaction optimisation using high-throughput experimentation. I later completed a scholarship in organic chemistry at Syngenta, where I was first exposed to autonomous flow chemistry. And I was supported by Dr Claire Francis to attend a Scientific Update course on Chemical Development and Scale-Up in the Fine Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries.
At the end of October 2024, I joined Prof. Anna Slater’s group as a postdoc on the OptiMed project. So far, I have been settling into life in Liverpool, exploring the research facilities, and integrating into the group. This is my first postdoc, and I’ve never done any flow chemistry before, so I’m really excited to be developing new technical and leadership skills. I’ve already completed some flow chemistry training and am planning to set up my first ever reaction in flow next week!
Working with Anna has been really fun! She is a great advocate for scientists from under-represented backgrounds and has been very supportive as I get used to my new role.
My proudest achievement so far has been overcoming my anxiety around public speaking. At the beginning of my PhD, I had a panic attack mid-presentation. Now, I have presented at 16 conferences and won 6 presentation prizes.
In my spare time, I love to read, crochet, swim, and explore local cafes.
Hi, I’m Shuyuan!
My background is the intersection of chemical engineering and data science.
I received my PhD in Process Systems Engineering from Tsinghua University, working on machine learning methods for process modelling, monitoring, and optimization, as well as their applications in microfluidics and other chemical processes.
I then joined Prof. Alexei Lapkin as a research fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES) and worked on the project of "From Digital Twins to Real Time AI-supported Plant Operation" launched by the Pharma Innovation Project Singapore (PIPS). This project aimed to develop an ontological representation of physical process models relevant to manufacture of pharmaceuticals and link these models with a knowledge graph. During this project, I picked up some skills of developing ontologies and physical models for chemical processes.
In October 2024, I stayed in Prof. Alexei Lapkin’s group and joined University of Cambridge as a postdoc. Now, my research interests include laboratory automation, machine learning, knowledge graph, etc. I’m currently working on reaction screening and process optimisation for pharmaceutical development.
In my spare time, I like travelling, cooking, and exploring the world of coffee.
At this point, if you are still reading, you might ask yourself this question… why is there no team photo in this first joint group post?
The answer is simple. We totally forgot to take one. And then we were busy enjoying our dinner.
Let’s try again in January.
Stay tuned.
More to come.