معرفی
Professor Alex Breeze is a leading academic in structural biology and biomolecular NMR at the University of Leeds, Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology. He serves as Professor of Biomolecular NMR and Director of NMR at the Astbury Biostructure Laboratory, overseeing state-of-the-art NMR facilities at 950, 750, and 600 MHz. His research integrates NMR, cryo-electron microscopy, and biophysical methods to study disease mechanisms at the molecular level.
His educational background includes a BSc (Hons) ARCS and PhD DIC from Imperial College London, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Oxford. He held key scientific and leadership roles at AstraZeneca for over 23 years before joining the University of Leeds in 2014.
Research interests focus on structural and mechanistic studies of disease pathways, particularly in cancer and cardiovascular disease. Key areas include:
- Aberrant signaling in fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) in cancer
- Allosteric switching mechanisms in RTKs
- Targeting hSOS1 in mutant Ras-driven cancers (e.g., pancreatic cancer)
- Structural biology of Rab46 GTPases in endothelial and cardiovascular disease
- Fragment- and structure-based drug discovery
- Trypanosomatid translation systems in infectious disease
Although specific article titles are not listed, his research output spans structural biology, cancer therapeutics, and molecular signaling, employing advanced techniques like NMR and cryo-EM. His work is supported by major funders including Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation, and he collaborates with institutions such as UCL, Cambridge, and AstraZeneca.
He holds significant leadership responsibilities:
- Director of NMR, Astbury Biostructure Laboratory
- Director of Research Facilities and Infrastructure, Faculty of Biological Sciences
- Board Member, MRC Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board (2019–present)
- Member, Scientific Advisory Board, MRC UK Biomedical NMR Centre, Crick Institute (2017–present)
- Former member, BBSRC Committee D and ALERT17
He is actively involved in graduate education as a member of the Graduate School Committee and Faculty representative on the Graduate Board Scholarships, Studentships and Prizes Group. His lab is part of a vibrant research community within the Astbury Centre and the Instruct-ERIC European consortium, enabling broad access to cutting-edge instrumentation.
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