Wael Houssen

Dr. Wael Houssen is a Reader in Chemistry at the University of Aberdeen, affiliated with the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition. His research focuses on cyclic peptides, enzymatic biosynthesis, and drug discovery targeting protein-protein interactions. He holds a BSc from Mansoura University, an MSc in Pharmacognosy, and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Aberdeen. Key roles include leading an independent research group funded by a £1.3M EPSRC fellowship and supervising numerous PhD students. He is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

His research bridges chemical synthesis and synthetic biology, developing peptide-based therapeutics for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Lab facilities include molecular biology tools, peptide synthesis equipment, and HPLC systems. Notable achievements include the 2019 Principal’s Prize for Research and Engagement. He teaches courses in molecular pharmacology and drug discovery and actively engages in science outreach.

Publications span cyclic peptide design, enzymatic modification, and antiviral/antimicrobial agents. His work emphasizes sustainable biocatalytic methods and has led to industrial collaborations, such as with Scotia Biologics. Current projects include hijacking prenyltransferases for peptide functionalization and exploring genome-mined enzymes for novel cyclic peptides.