The development of Keap1-interactive compounds that regulate Nrf2 transcriptional activity

Brief bio: Geoff Wells is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry at UCL School of Pharmacy. He pursued a PhD in medicinal chemistry at the University of Nottingham under the supervision of Professor Malcolm Stevens FRS. He spent four years as a postdoctoral researcher in the CRUK Gene Targeted Drug Design Research Group at the School of Pharmacy, University of London, followed by two years working for Pharminox Ltd, an anticancer drug discovery company, as Drug Discovery Project Leader. In October 2007, Dr Wells took up the position of Lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry at The School of Pharmacy. His research work has focused on the design and synthesis of compound classes that affect redox homeostasis, interact with DNA in a sequence selective manner and that have selective cytotoxicity profiles. His current interests include the rational design of agents that modulate cytoprotective effects such as the Keap1-Nrf2 system that regulates antioxidant response element genes.