Drug Discovery Committee
The Drug Discovery Committee (DDC) reviews applications for biotherapeutic and small molecule drug discovery research, and manages our strategic goals in the area of drug discovery.
The DDC funds and oversees Programme and Project Awards for biotherapeutics and small molecule cancer drug discovery, from target identification through to early preclinical studies. The DDC also oversees our Drug Discovery Units (DDUs) and translational research alliances.
The DDC meets twice a year, funding Project Awards in May and November and Programme Awards at the May meeting.
Funding Schemes
Biotherapeutic Drug Discovery Programme Awards provide 5 years of support, and will be awarded to outstanding individuals with an established scientific track record to support the discovery and development of novel biological therapeutic agents.
Biotherapeutic Drug Discovery Project Awards provide short-term funding support for applications on therapeutic discovery and development approaches that are derived from biological sources such as antibody and cell based therapeutics.
Small Molecule Drug Discovery Project Awards support the identification and validation of novel therapeutic targets and the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutic agents, and are typically held for 2 years.
How proposals are judged
The DDC funds Project and Programme Awards that support milestone driven research, with the aim of developing new preventative or therapeutic entities. Applications are judged on the basis of their scientific excellence and strategic importance.
Chair of the Drug Discovery Committee
Professor Stephen Frye – UNC-Chapel Hill, USA
Vice Chair of the Drug Discovery Committee
Professor Justin Bryans – Medical Research Council Technology
Members of the Drug Discovery Committee
Dr Justin Bower – Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute
Professor Raj Chopra – The Institute of Cancer Research
Professor Martin Glennie – University of Southampton
Professor Adrian Harris – University of Oxford
Dr Donald Ogilvie – Independent
Dr Hamish Ryder – Cancer Research Technology – Discovery Laboratories
Dr Dennis Smith – Independent
Dr Caroline Springer – Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute
Dr Charlie Swanton – Cancer Research UK Chief Clinician
Dr John Tite – Independent
Professor Bart Vanhaesebroeck – University College London
Professor Karen Vousden – Cancer Research UK Chief Scientist
Professor Steve Wedge – Northern Institute for Cancer Research
Professor Paul Wyatt – University of Dundee
Chair of the Biotherapeutics Expert Review Panel
Dr John Tite – Independent
Vice Chair of the Biotherapeutics Expert Review Panel
Professor Martin Glennie – University of Southampton
Members of the Biotherapeutics Expert Review Panel
Professor John Bell – Ottawa Health Research Insitute
Professor Tim Illidge – University of Manchester
Dr Mark Lowdell – University College London
Dr Stephen Martin – GlaxoSmithKline
Professor Alan Melcher – University of Leeds
Professor Rienk Offringa – DKFZ Heidelberg, Germany
Professor Ben Willcox – University of Birmingham
Dr Gerald Willimsky – Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Chair of the Small Molecule Expert Review Panel
Dr Dennis Smith – Independent
Vice-chair of the Small Molecule Expert Review Panel
Professor Steve Wedge – Northern Institute for Cancer Research
Members of the Small Molecule Expert Review Panel
Dr Udai Banerji – The Institute of Cancer Research
Professor Neil Carragher – University of Edinburgh
Professor Ian Collins – The Institute of Cancer Research
Dr Mathew Garnett – Sanger Institute
Dr Allan Jordan – Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute
Dr Anderson Ryan – University of Oxford
Professor Simon Ward – University of Sussex
Contact for this committee
DrugDiscovery.Committee@cancer.org.uk
Grants Helpline: 0203 469 5452
Schemes reviewed by this committee
Our drug discovery infrastructure
To support our investigator-led drug discovery research we have made extensive investment in infrastructure for biotherapeutic and small molecule drug discovery.