Schools and Public Lecture: ‘The Role of Chemists in the Discovery of New Medicines’

3 May 2012, Faversham, United Kingdom

Introduction

Most of us take medicines, whether it's paracetamol for a headache, a statin to lower cholesterol or something to treat a specific condition we have. But just how do these treatments come about, how do we decide what to treat and how, any anyway what's it got to do with chemistry? In this public lecture suitable for all ages, Dave Alker will de-mystify the science behind the discovery of new medicines and show how chemists played a central role in developing a revolutionary new medicine for the treatment of AIDS/HIV, thereby saving lives and improving the quality of life of these patients. Along the way he will also explain how the successful design of molecules which interact with specific biological targets depends on technology and ideas borrowed from Avatar, Nissan and your local fish & chip shop!