Veronique Seidel

Veronique Seidel is a Senior Lecturer at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom. She leads research in natural products chemistry and pharmacognosy with applications in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical development, while teaching MPharm modules including the Year 3 Management of Infection and Infectious Diseases course.

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy in Phytochemical and Pharmacological studies on some species of Annonaceae, University of Strathclyde (1995-1998, awarded 1999)

Research Interests: Dr. Seidel's work focuses on discovering bioactive compounds from global plant and beehive sources (honey/propolis) through ethnopharmacological investigation, purification, structure elucidation, and screening for antitubercular, anti-inflammatory, antibiofilm, and antivirulence properties. Her laboratory integrates traditional natural product chemistry with computational approaches including molecular docking and dynamics simulations to identify novel therapeutic agents.

Research Trends: Recent publications demonstrate a strategic shift toward computational-experimental synergy, with 2025 studies targeting bacterial biofilm disruption through regulator proteins (SarA/LasR) and advanced drug delivery systems like dimenhydrinate-cyclodextrin complexes. This reflects her growing emphasis on translating natural product discoveries into clinically relevant antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory applications.

Scientific Awards:

• Faculty of Science Starter Research Award (2003)
• Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) Award (2011)
• Life Sciences Prize (French Academy of Pharmacy)
• Parke-Davis Natural Products Chemistry Prize (French Academy of Pharmacy)

Advising and Leadership: Dr. Seidel supervises PhD students and has completed 11 supervised works. She coordinates 20 research projects including the EU COST ACTION MedPlants4Vet and tuberculosis drug discovery initiatives. As founder of the SIPBS-WIDE committee, she led the successful Athena SWAN Silver Award application and previously served as Honorary Treasurer of the Phytochemical Society of Europe (2014-2019).

Research Infrastructure: She directs the Natural Products Research Laboratory which utilizes specialized equipment including sample mixers for extraction and purification workflows, focusing on geographical diversity of natural sources to identify novel bioactive molecules.