Aldabbagh-Research Group
Head of Group - Dr. Fawaz Aldabbagh B. Sc. (HONS), Ph. D., CChem, MRSC
Fawaz (b. 9.11.71, 36 years old) joined NUI, Galway as Lecturer in April 2000. His group has a wide range of research interests including materials/polymer, organic/medicinal and environmental/green chemistry. Fawaz is currently the author of 43 peer-reviewed papers, review articles and book chapters in top international chemistry journals; 34 published since 2003, as principal (corresponding) author (nearly 300 citations). Invited research lectures have been given across the world, including in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Japan, UK and USA. Fawaz was a Canon Foundation in Europe Research Fellow for 2007, where he worked at Kobe University, Japan.
There are currently nine postgraduates in this group, ten others have gained PhDs (since 2004). Fawaz also teaches chemistry at all levels in the school, and is very active in science promotions at a faculty and national level.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr. Miriam Carr B. Sc. (HONS), Ph.D., MRSC - Has a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Trinity College Dublin (Supervisor: Prof. Mary J. Meegan). This involved the design and synthesis of novel b-lactam compounds, and biochemical evaluation of these compounds against breast cancer cells. Miriam then became a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Molecular Design Group led by Dr. David Lloyd (also at TCD), where synthesis and biochemical evaluation of novel androgen receptor compounds was carried out. Miriam is currently working on a Science Foundation Ireland sponsored project entitled, "Synthesis and Biological Activity of Aziridine Containing Benzimidazolequinone Anti-Cancer Agents" in collaboration with Dr. Michael Carty (Biochemistry, NUI, Galway).
PhD Students
Liz O'Donovan B. Sc (HONS) - Synthesis and antitumor activity of novel benzimidazolequinones. Liz joined the group from University College Cork, and has been awarded an IRCSET EMBARK Initiative Postgraduate Scholarship to carry out this project.
Liz is a recipient of an Oncology Scholar Travel Award from Cancer Research Ireland.
Karen Fahey B. Sc (HONS) - Synthesis and antitumor activity of novel benzimidazolequinones. Karen joined the group after working in industry, and has been awarded an IRCSET EMBARK Initiative Postgraduate Scholarship to carry out this project.
Karen won First Prize in the Student Poster competition (out of 215 entries, sponsored by Thieme) at the 23rd Colloquium on Heterocyclic Chemistry, Antwerp, Belgium.
Eoin Moriarty B. Sc (HONS) - Eoin is working on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded project entitled "Photochemical Alternatives to Hazardous Radical Initiators for the Synthesis of Potent Anti-Tumour Agents."
Sarah Bonham B.Sc (HONS) - Sarah is working on a project entitled, "Synthesis and Biological Activity of Aziridine Containing Benzimidazolequinone Anti-Cancer Agents" sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland, Research Frontiers Program.
Vincent Fagan B.Sc (HONS) - Vinnie is preparing new heterocycles as potential tumour cytotoxins using radical cyclizations, and has been awarded an IRCSET EMBARK Initiative Postgraduate Scholarship to carry out this project.
Yusuke Sugihara - Yusuke is carrying out two-years of his PhD research at NUI, Galway, as part of an exchange with the Okubo group in Kobe University, Japan. This is part of a Sister University Agreement between the College of Science, NUI, Galway and the Faculty of Engineering and the Graduate School of Engineering and Technology, Kobe University (signed in 2005). His project is concerned with nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization towards new stimuli-sensitive materials.
Eamonn Joyce BSc (HONS) - Eamonn is working on new radical cyclizations of acyl radicals towards biologically active molecules. Eamonn has been awarded an IRCSET EMBARK Initiative Postgraduate Scholarship to carry out this project.
Padraig O'Connor BSc (HONS) - Padraig joined the group after working in Australia for two years. His project is sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland, Research Frontiers Program and is entitled, "Clean Controlled Synthesis of Stimuli-Sensitive Materials using supercritical carbon dioxide"
Rongbing Yang M.Sc. - Rongbing is working on new drug-delivery systems comprising of novel materials prepared in Supercritical CO2. Rongbing has a M.Sc. in Biomedical Science from NUI, Galway. Collaborators on this project are Drs. William M. Carroll and Yuri Rochev in the NCBES, Galway.
Group Graduates with PhD Thesis Titles
Dr. Paul Dervan (2004) - "2,5- and 2,6-Spirodicyclohexyl Substituted Cyclic Nitroxide-Mediated Free Radical Polymerizations of Styrene."
Dr. John O'Shaughnessy (2005) - "Synthesis of Bioreductive Antibiotics: Pyrrolo- and Pyrido-[1,2-a]benzimidazolequinones Containing a Fused Cyclopropane Ring using Intramolecular Cycloaddition Reactions."
Dr. Padraig McLoughlin (2005) - "Homolytic Aromatic Substitution Reactions of s-Imidazole Radicals"
Dr. Mairéad A. Clyne (2006) - "Photochemical and n-Tributyltin Hydride-mediated Aromatic Substitutions of s-Imidazole Radicals"
Dr. Marisa Phelan (2006) - "Mechanism and Kinetics of the Free Radical Ring-Opening Polymerization of Cyclic Allylic Sulfide Monomers"
Dr. Julia Ryan (2006) - "First Nitroxide-mediated Controlled/Living Radical Polymerizations (NMP) in Ionic Liquid, Dispersions in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Copolymerizations with Macromonomers"
Dr. Mary Lynch (2007) - "Synthesis of [1,2-a] Alicyclic Ring-Fused Benzimidazolequinone Bioreductive Anti-Tumour Agents by Novel Radical Cyclizations"
Dr. Ronan McHale (2007) - "Designed Materials by Controlled Radical Polymerizations using Chain Transfer Agents, Nitroxides and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide"
Dr. Sarah Hehir (2008) - "Synthesis of Dimethyl Substituted Benzimidazoles Containing Cyclopropane Fused onto Five to Eight Membered [1,2-a]Alicyclic Rings and Cytotoxicity of Related Benzimidazolequinones"
Orla Gibbons (2008) - "Conventional and Nitroxide-Mediated Radical Polymerizations of N-Isopropylacrylamide and N-tert-Butylacrylamide"
Visitors
Hervé Clavier (E.N.S.C.R., France) - 2001, Marianne Ellerbek Sørensen (Aalborg, Denmark) - 2003
Sarah Reilly B. Sc. (HONS) and Derrick Reape B. Sc. (HONS)- 2005, MSc. in Analytical Biochemistry and Chemistry
Professor Bunichiro Yamada - Walton Visitor - Professor Yamada of Osaka City University, a recognized world leader in polymeric materials synthesis worked in our group from June 2004 until September 2005.
Fiona Power B. Sc. (HONS) - 2008, MSc. in Analytical Biochemistry and Chemistry
Dr. Roberta Ettari - 2008, SFI funded Postdoctoral Research Associate
Fiona Gillespie (NUI, Galway); 2008, SFI funded Research Assistant
Research Awards & Grants
Science
Foundation
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2006
Science
Foundation
Enterprise Ireland International Collaboration Awards 2001, 2002 and 2003
Enterprise Ireland Basic Research Grant 2002
National University of Ireland, Galway Millennium Research Awards 2001, 2002, 2003 (travel) and 2005 (travel)
IRCSET EMBARK Initiative Postgraduate Scholarships 2002 (twice), 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Collaborators
Professor Masayoshi Okubo and Associate Professor Per B. Zetterlund (Kobe University)
Dr. Michael P. Carty (Biochemistry, NUI, Galway)
Key words- Bioreductive Antitumour Agents, Free Radicals, Green Chemistry, Heterocycles, Nitroxides, Organic Synthesis, Polymer Kinetics, Polymer Synthesis, Sulfur Chemistry