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Summer Graduates 2026!

In July, we are delighted to celebrate several significant academic achievements within the Kawamura Research Group.  Congratulations to Dr Tom Smith, Dr Tim Bell and Dr Emma Wadforth on the successful completion of their PhDs. Reaching this milestone represents years of dedication, resilience and scientific discovery, and is a testament to their hard work and commitment to research.  We also extend our congratulations to Nell Marrs and Tina Baharlou, who have graduated with their MChem degrees. Their achievements reflect the effort, determination and enthusiasm they have shown throughout their studies.  We are incredibly proud of everything they have achieved and grateful for the contributions they have made to the research group. It has been a privilege to support and witness their development, and we look forward to following… Read More »Summer Graduates 2026!

Jumping Back into “Juicy Genes”

Written by: Hana Anderton. Once again, volunteers from the Kawamura Research Group returned to this year’s Discover Festival on 13th June 2026, bringing chemical biology to the centre of Newcastle through an engaging experiment. The family-friendly festival gave members of the public the opportunity to explore the world around them, celebrate creativity, and discover the excitement of scientific research, something which the team delivered brilliantly.  The group’s interactive activity, Juicy Genes, invited families to extract DNA from strawberries and kiwi fruits, offering a fascinating insight into what exactly makes up every living organism. Through this interesting experiment, members of the public were also able to learn about the role of… Read More »Jumping Back into “Juicy Genes”

Emma Wadforth Completes Her PhD Viva

We are delighted to celebrate a remarkable milestone in Emma Wadforth’s academic journey: she has successfully defended her PhD viva!  This achievement represents years of dedication, curiosity, and resilience. Emma’s PhD research, funded by ERC, focused on developing cyclic peptides against human neuraminidases.  We would also like to extend our thanks to Emma’s examiners, Prof Steven Cobb (Durham University) and Dr Céline Cano (Newcastle University), for their valuable time and engagement.   Wishing her every success in her new role at the Francis Crick Institute.   

Tom and Tim’s Next Chapter in Chemical Biology

We’re thrilled that Tom Smith and Tim Bell will be continuing their journey with us as Postdoctoral Research Associates working on cyclic peptide discover technology, following the end of the PhD Studies!  Over the last several years, Tom and Tim have been integral to our team – not only through their contributions to chemical biology research but also through the energy and enthusiasm they bring to our group culture. Their leadership in team-building activities, including last year’s Chemical Biology Christmas Symposium, has helped create a collaborative and vibrant environment that we’re proud of.  Here’s to more exciting research and many more moments of teamwork and celebration! 

Farewell to Emma & Kallie

This September, we said goodbye to two fantastic researchers. Dr. Emma Wadforth also completed her PhD in Chemical Biology, sponsored by the European Research Council (ERC), and is now heading to an exciting new role at The Francis Crick Institute.   Dr. Kallie Friston joined us as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate after completing her PhD at Newcastle University, aligned with the MoSMed CDT. Now Kallie is starting a new role in Medicinal Chemistry at Newcastle University.  Both Emma and Kallie were valued members of our team, and we wish them every success in their future endeavours and look forward to following their journeys! 

Lauren’s Summer Studentship

By Lauren Archer: I’ve had the opportunity to carry out a summer studentship in the Kawamura Research Group, and I’ve found it to be an incredibly rewarding experience. I’m really grateful to have been welcomed into such a supportive and collaborative team, where I’ve been able to develop both technically and professionally.  My current work focuses on the PHD finger domain of KDMs, a project that sits at the interface of chemistry and biology. Coming from a chemistry background, this area has been a steep learning curve, and has introduced me to a range of new chemical biology techniques, including protein purification and bacterial transformation.   Working in a multidisciplinary lab… Read More »Lauren’s Summer Studentship

Emma’s Research Wins Award at EPSC 2025

We’re thrilled to share that our PhD student Emma Wadworth presented her research at the European Peptide Synthesis Conference (EPSC) 2025, held in August 25–27 in Porto, Portugal.   This prestigious event brings together leading scientists and innovators from across Europe to explore the latest advancements in peptide synthesis, including high-throughput strategies, protein production, and cGMP applications.  As well as showcasing her PhD research to conference delegates, Emma won an award for her poster on developing and optimising cyclic peptide inhibitors against human neuraminidases. Congratulations Emma!    

Showcasing Research at PPSG 2025 Conference

In July, members of our team—Dr Robert Dawber, Tim Bell, and Keir Pebody—attended the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Protein and Peptide Science Group (PPSG) 2025 Early Stage Researcher Meeting in Birmingham.   The conference provided a platform for early career researchers to present their work, exchange ideas, and build connections within the scientific community. We’re proud to share that both Rob and Tim presented their research findings, contributing to the discussions that make PPSG a valuable experience for young researchers.  Tim’s talk presented his PhD work involving peptide arrays for informing chemokine PPIs and Probe Development. Meanwhile, Rob’s poster described his work to develop new methods to study how post-translational modifications… Read More »Showcasing Research at PPSG 2025 Conference

Emma Presents at the RSC CBBG Symposium

This June, Emma Wadforth had the exciting opportunity to present her PhD research at the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Chemical Biology and Bioorganic Group (CBBG) Postgraduate Symposium in Aberdeen, UK.  As she nears the completion of her PhD journey—funded by the European Research Council (ERC)—Emma’s oral presentation marked a proud moment of sharing her work with the wider scientific community. The CBBG symposium provided a great opportunity for connecting with fellow researchers in chemical biology, exchanging ideas, and celebrating the progress of early-career scientists. Emma’s PhD project synthesised and characterised a selection of novel cyclic peptides from mRNA display against NEU2. This work led to the discovery of some of… Read More »Emma Presents at the RSC CBBG Symposium

Joanna Delivers Talk at the RSC Chem Bio Symposium 2025

In London, the RSC’s Chemical Biology Symposium 2025 showcased the latest advancements in chemical biology, bringing together leading experts from around the world. We’re delighted that Dr Joanna Bonnici‘s flash talk, “JmjC catalysed histone H2a N-methyl arginine demethylation & C4-arginine hydroxylation,” was featured within this event, alongside her poster on this work.  “It was fantastic to finally be able to present, share and discuss my recent publication. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was inspiring to learn from, and connect with, leaders in the field – all within such a historic and beautiful venue.” – Joanna Bonnici  The paper (Bonnici J, et al. Commun Biol. 2024 ) is available to read… Read More »Joanna Delivers Talk at the RSC Chem Bio Symposium 2025