Stephen Headey

Dr. Stephen Headey is a Lecturer in Chemistry at the School of Science, RMIT University. His research focuses on fragment-based drug design (FBDD), medicinal chemistry, and biophysical techniques like NMR spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). These tools are used to investigate protein interactions for drug discovery, particularly targeting diseases such as cancer and viral infections. He collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, including medicinal chemists and X-ray crystallographers, to advance therapeutic development.

His work spans academic and commercial projects, including SPR analysis for protein-protein interactions and NMR-based chemical structure determination. He supervises Masters and PhD students in projects like developing inhibitors for macrophage migration inhibitory factor and targeting RECQL4 for cancer prevention. Key activities include FBDD, SPR, and NMR applications.

Dr. Headey’s publications highlight advancements in gene editing, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibition, and structural biology of viral and bacterial proteins. His research contributes to improving human health through innovative drug discovery strategies.