Dr David Beal

David is a chemical biologist currently employed as a Sir Henry Wellcome Fellow in the labs of Professor Mark Smales (Biosciences) and Dr Christopher Serpell (Physical Sciences) at the University of Kent.
David’s scientific background is diverse, ranging from Chemistry to Biochemistry and Biophysics. He began his career at Pfizer Global Research and Development, where he was employed for 14 years as a Synthetic Chemist. During this time, he obtained a degree in Chemistry at the University of Greenwich and was awarded chartered chemist status (CChem) by the Royal Society of Chemistry. David then went on to complete a PhD in Biochemistry, studying the stability of amyloid fibrils to mechanical stress, at the University of Kent under the supervision of Dr Wei-Feng Xue. Prior to taking up his current position he carried out post-doctoral research with Professors Tuite and Freedman at the University of Kent, investigating the process of oxidative protein folding in the yeast endoplasmic reticulum. 

David’s current research interests focus on the utilisation of Chemistry to understand Biology and alter the properties of biomolecules. His Wellcome research project centres on the development of novel linkers to enhance the activity of antibody drug conjugates (ADC), a new modality in anti-cancer treatment.