UNIVERSITY of Warwick Professor Peter Sadler has received the prestigious Royal Society’s Davy Medal for his pioneering research into ‘metals in medicine.’
Prof Sadler and his team have been designing novel metallodrugs to combat resistance to current anticancer and antimicrobial drugs.
These use visible light to activate precious metal pro-drugs in tumours, which reduces the effects on normal tissues.
One of their biggest achievements is demonstrating cancer cells could be targeted and destroyed with iridium, a metal from the asteroid which caused the dinosaurs’ extinction.
He is also looking into the new area of metal neurochemistry.
Prof Sadler said: “I feel elated on behalf of all the graduate research students, post-docs, visiting fellows and collaborators who have contributed so much to my research over the years.
“It has never been easy to establish that inorganic chemistry is of central importance to biology and medicine.
“Through the ability of my talented co-workers, we have overcome some of the challenges, and made exciting research discoveries that have stimulated worldwide interest in the field of medicinal inorganic chemistry.”
Royal Society president Sir Adrian Smith added: “Science has always been a team game, and I’m proud to see such a wide array of skills and specialisms reflected in this year’s medals and awards.
“From the original ideas that open up new fields, to the team effort that delivered the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, or the vital work of technicians and those opening doors for the next generation of talented researchers – I am proud that we can celebrate outstanding scientific contributions in all their forms.”
