In our latest Meet the Team blog, we asked Michael Mathieson about his career journey, from what inspired him to get into chemistry, through to joining BioAscent in 2022. 

Why did you decide to study chemistry? 

I studied at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, and initially I was enrolled on the chemical engineering course. I picked chemical engineering because I felt like it had good career prospects, but it soon became apparent that maybe it wasn’t for me, and I found there was more maths involved than I’d anticipated! I made the move to chemistry, which felt like a natural one to make. I’ve always been a practical person and learn best by doing, therefore I found the practical aspect of chemistry really appealed to me.  

What made you want to pursue a PhD? 

When I was undertaking my masters project, I had a fantastic supervisor who really inspired me to want to understand chemistry at a deeper level.  I also found I enjoyed the camaraderie and sense of teamwork that an academic lab provided so wanted to remain in that environment for a bit longer.  

Tell us about your career following your PhD? 

When I finished my PhD, I moved to Liverpool to work for biotech company Redx. I worked on a variety of oncology projects and gained my first experience of medicinal chemistry. I enjoyed the creativity which came with this and was fortunate to be named on several patents. It was a fun time, living in a busy city and being part of a great group of colleagues at Redx.  

After 2 years in Liverpool, I moved to take up a position at the Dundee Drug Discovery Unit (DDU). The unit has a focus on research in the area of neglected diseases, and I worked on the tuberculosis team, mostly carrying out lead optimisation work. I benefited here from further medicinal chemistry experience, gaining exposure to different areas, and found I was able to have more design input. I learned how to use software such as Maestro for docking. It was a real collaborative environment, with partnerships on-going with Big Pharma and other universities.  

I then moved into a start-up environment, working on PROTACs at Amphista Therapeutics for 3 years. Here I gained lots of experience in the field of Targeted Protein Degradation. Working at a start-up in the early days was a fun but sometimes chaotic experience! I was fortunate to work as the lead chemist on a large collaboration, which gave me new experience in project management.  

When did you join BioAscent? 

I joined BioAscent in November 2022 as a senior scientist. I was excited to move back to a more practical lab-based role, having been desk-based for a few years. Making molecules is what I enjoy doing and thrive on. At BioAscent, I’ve been able to apply my skills and experience in both synthetic and medicinal chemistry to a mix of client and internal projects, where I’ve worked on developing new technologies for use in our labs.  

One of the best parts of working at BioAscent is the people, and I enjoy working with a great bunch of colleagues every day.  

How do you spend your spare time outside of work? 

I enjoy weightlifting, listening to punk music and attending gigs, and playing with my two cats.