ProfessorMichael Kassiou

• Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery
• Structure-activity relationships of CNS bioactive molecules
• Rationale CNS drug design and evaluation
• Heterocyclic Chemistry

Research in the Kassiou group is interdisciplinary and built around the key themes of medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. Our research utilises modern organic chemistry techniques to rationally design and synthesise novel compounds for a range of CNS targets which are associated with conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, dementia, schizophrenia, social anxiety and depression. In this domain understanding drug-protein and drug-binding site interactions is a key component which allows us to obtain structure-activity relationships of bioactive CNS molecules. In addition by using molecular imaging techniques within these fields we are able to better understand the living brain in normal and diseased states through in vivo studies.

Michael's research aligns with the Faculty of Science Research Strengths - Molecules to Materials, Preventing and Treating Disease & Disorder, Next Generation Materials.