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Team Members

Celebrating Our 2025 Summer Graduates

At the end of July, we proudly celebrated the achievements of four students in the Chemical Biology department at Newcastle University.   Huge congratulations to Dr Filomena Saulino and Dr Siddique Amin on the successful completion of their PhDs – the first Kawamura group Newcastle PhD students ! – and to Faye Turnbull and Ellie Bentley on earning their Master’s degrees!  We’re excited to share that Siddique has since joined AstraZeneca, where he continues to apply his expertise as a Senior Scientist. Filomena remains with us as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, continuing her impactful work in the Kawamura Research Group.   We’re proud of you all and wish you every success in… Read More »Celebrating Our 2025 Summer Graduates

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

Farewell to Roman Belle!

After an incredible 10 years, we bid a fond and heartfelt farewell to Dr. Roman Belle as he embarks on an exciting new chapter.  Roman joined our group as a DPhil at the University of Oxford, then transitioned as a postdoc with us at Newcastle University. During his time with us, Roman made significant contributions to our understanding of epigenetics. His work has been instrumental in advancing our research on histone and DNA modifications and enzyme inhibition.  Beyond the lab, Roman has been a cornerstone of our team culture—always ready with a word of encouragement, a collaborative spirit, and a great sense of humour. We also want to thank Roman… Read More »Farewell to Roman Belle!

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

Farewell to Siddique and Cecilia!

In early 2025, we bid a heartfelt farewell to two team members, post-doctorate research associates Siddique Amin and Cecilia Gonzalez Garcia.  Throughout their time with us, Siddique and Cecilia played key roles in advancing our research efforts. Beyond their professional contributions, both brought warmth, positivity, and a strong sense of teamwork to the group.  While we’re sad to see them go, we’re excited for what lies ahead for them.  Wishing you both continued success and happiness in your next chapters! 

IDWGS 2025

This February, we celebrated International Women and Girls in Science Day!   Within Newcastle University’s chemical biology research groups, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and make a difference. A special thanks to all the women in the Kawamura Research Group and McAllister Lab for their incredible contributions to the field of science!  International Women and Girls in Science Day (IDWGS) was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. Celebrated annually on February 11th, this day highlights the critical role women and girls play in science and technology… Read More »IDWGS 2025

Chemical Biology Winter Symposium 2024

The Kawamura and McAllister Lab research groups hosted their annual Chemical Biology Winter Symposium, blending festive cheer with intellectual stimulation!   This event provided a platform for researchers to present their work through a series of short presentations. These presentations showcased the depth and breadth of research activities, whilst facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration.  Amidst the scientific discussions, the event also included some festive fun. Participants enjoyed a Secret Santa gift exchange, and the Christmas quiz, complete with the exciting “Sink or Float” challenge, brought an element of playful competition and camaraderie among the attendees.  The day concluded with a dinner at Victor’s to celebrate the Chem Bio teams’ achievements.  Special… Read More »Chemical Biology Winter Symposium 2024

Roman, Rob & Emma Complete GNR 2024!

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Roman Belle, Rob Dawber and Emma Wadforth (aka TEAM TGIF) for their incredible achievement in completing the Great North Run 2024 to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. Their research activities are funded by CRUK so this has been a great opportunity to further support cancer research.  The Great North Run is the world’s largest half marathon. This year, a record-breaking 60,000 runners competed in this annual event, running from Newcastle to South Shields.  Roman: “We’re thrilled to be part of this event, pushing ourselves to the limit and raising vital funds to help CRUK continue our ground breaking research.”  Our team members were… Read More »Roman, Rob & Emma Complete GNR 2024!

Congratulations to Harriet on Her 1851 Research Fellowship!

We’re thrilled to congratulate Dr Harriet Stanway-Gordon on being awarded a prestigious Research Fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851!  Harriet’s project, CyPeMs: New Modalities for Targeting AMR and NDD, explores innovative approaches to tackling antimicrobial resistance and neurodegenerative diseases using cyclic peptide-small molecule hybrids and DNA-encoded libraries. Her work holds exciting potential for the development of novel therapeutic candidates.  This is a fantastic recognition of Harriet’s talent and dedication, and we wish her every success in this next chapter of her research career.  Well done, Harriet!