The Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University are delighted to be hosted Professor Zo毛 Waller from University College London for her CBBG Lectureship Prize talk on the 18th March 2026.
Who is Zo毛?
Professor Zo褢 Waller is a professor of drug discovery at University College, London.
Zo毛's journey
She graduated with a MChem in Chemistry with Pharmaceutical and Forensic Science from the University of Bradford, in 2005 and then completed a PhD in Chemical Biology from the University of Cambridge, UK, under the supervision of Professor Sir Shankar Balasubramanian FMedSci, FRS. Zo褢鈥檚 thesis was based on the design, properties and function of small molecule ligands which interact with G-quadruplex DNA.
After completing her PhD she gained further teaching experience within the secondary education sector before taking up a position as Senior Demonstrator in Medicinal Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy at UEA. After a brief period working in industry at HFL Sport Science Zo褢 returned to UEA in late 2010 as a Junior Lecturer in Chemical Biology. They were promoted to Lecturer in 2014 and Senior Lecturer in 2017. Zo褢 moved to UCL School of Pharmacy in July 2020 in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry as an Associate Professor in Drug Discovery. She was promoted to Professor in 2024 and is currently Head of Research Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry.
Awards
In 2022 Zo褢 was awarded UCL a Provost Teaching Award for 鈥淚nnovation and Transformation, with a focus on building learning communities鈥� and a Pearson Silver Award for 鈥淢ost innovative approach to engaging students using education technology.鈥� This work was also recognised in 2024, through the 外网天堂 Horizon Education Prize. Zo褢 was the recipient of the 2024 Chemical Biology and Bio-Organic Group Lecturer for their "outstanding contribution to the chemical biology community and her exceptional research achievements on the stability and function of DNA i-motifs". In 2025 Zo褢 won the 外网天堂 Jeremy Knowles Award for "contributions to our understanding of nucleic acid i-motif structure and function in a cellular context using chemical tools and structural methods to unveil new therapeutic opportunities".
Appointments
Zo褢 is Chair of the 外网天堂 Degree Accreditation Committee and a STEM Ambassador. They are a Fellow of the 外网天堂 (FRSC) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). Zo褢鈥檚 research interests are centred around the structure and function of i-motif nucleic acids and their research is currently supported by the BBSRC and the Leverhulme Trust.
The talk
Join us in person to hear Zo毛 discuss her prize-winning research spanning DNA i-motifs. Lunch will be served in the Dalton Building prior to her talk.
Agenda
12:00 - 13:00 - Lunch and networking
13:00 - 14:00 - CBBG Lectureship Prize lecture
Who is Zo毛?
Professor Zo褢 Waller is a professor of drug discovery at University College, London.
Zo毛's journey
She graduated with a MChem in Chemistry with Pharmaceutical and Forensic Science from the University of Bradford, in 2005 and then completed a PhD in Chemical Biology from the University of Cambridge, UK, under the supervision of Professor Sir Shankar Balasubramanian FMedSci, FRS. Zo褢鈥檚 thesis was based on the design, properties and function of small molecule ligands which interact with G-quadruplex DNA.
After completing her PhD she gained further teaching experience within the secondary education sector before taking up a position as Senior Demonstrator in Medicinal Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy at UEA. After a brief period working in industry at HFL Sport Science Zo褢 returned to UEA in late 2010 as a Junior Lecturer in Chemical Biology. They were promoted to Lecturer in 2014 and Senior Lecturer in 2017. Zo褢 moved to UCL School of Pharmacy in July 2020 in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry as an Associate Professor in Drug Discovery. She was promoted to Professor in 2024 and is currently Head of Research Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry.
Awards
In 2022 Zo褢 was awarded UCL a Provost Teaching Award for 鈥淚nnovation and Transformation, with a focus on building learning communities鈥� and a Pearson Silver Award for 鈥淢ost innovative approach to engaging students using education technology.鈥� This work was also recognised in 2024, through the 外网天堂 Horizon Education Prize. Zo褢 was the recipient of the 2024 Chemical Biology and Bio-Organic Group Lecturer for their "outstanding contribution to the chemical biology community and her exceptional research achievements on the stability and function of DNA i-motifs". In 2025 Zo褢 won the 外网天堂 Jeremy Knowles Award for "contributions to our understanding of nucleic acid i-motif structure and function in a cellular context using chemical tools and structural methods to unveil new therapeutic opportunities".
Appointments
Zo褢 is Chair of the 外网天堂 Degree Accreditation Committee and a STEM Ambassador. They are a Fellow of the 外网天堂 (FRSC) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). Zo褢鈥檚 research interests are centred around the structure and function of i-motif nucleic acids and their research is currently supported by the BBSRC and the Leverhulme Trust.
The talk
Join us in person to hear Zo毛 discuss her prize-winning research spanning DNA i-motifs. Lunch will be served in the Dalton Building prior to her talk.
Agenda
12:00 - 13:00 - Lunch and networking
13:00 - 14:00 - CBBG Lectureship Prize lecture
