Key details
Dr Thomas Gale
Senior Lecturer in Chemistry
Dr Tom Gale joined the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ in January 2017 as a lecturer in chemistry, focusing on the delivery of organic chemistry modules and soon thereafter co-ordination of the university's Science Extended Year (level 3), for which he now acts as programme leader. His appointment follows university chemistry teaching and academic management posts overseas, including his involvement in successfully establishing the parallel running of University College London (UCL)'s science foundation programme at the international Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Dr Gale's degree at Cardiff University was followed by a spell in process development at Zeneca Pharmaceuticals (now AstraZeneca), Bristol and a PhD. on the mode of action of glycopeptide antibiotics at Downing College, University of Cambridge under the guidance of Professor Dudley Williams. Postdoctoral research then followed in the supramolecular chemistry lab of Professor Jeremy Kilburn (Southampton University) and at Spirogen Ltd., (then based at the University of London School of Pharmacy), synthesising solid-supported aromatic peptide compound libraries, designed to isolate sequences binding to oncogene DNA targets known to anti-cancer drug design.​
Responsibilities within the university
Extended Year Programme Leader (Sciences Foundation Year)
Science and Engineering link tutor for Çï¿ûÊÓƵ International College (UGIC)'s International Foundation Year
Module Leader
Physical Chemistry
Introductory Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Module participation
Organic Chemistry
Further Organic Chemistry
Advanced Organic Chemistry
Advanced Organic Chemistry Lab
Final Year Research Project (MChem)
Final Year Research Project (BSc Pharmaceutical Science)
Biomedical Science Online (MSc)
Practical and Professional Skills (Chemistry) Lab
Basic Chemistry for Life Sciences
Introduction to Chemistry
Other
- ChemDraw software workshops
- Visiting lecturer to Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, P.R. China
Recognition
- Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC) since 2015.​
- Awarded Senior Fellowship of the UK Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) in 2018.
Research / Scholarly interests
Natural product chemistry, particularly peptide antibiotics and the synthesis of analogues for structure-activity relationship studies. Solid phase peptide synthesis for the formation and screening of host-guest complexes.
Other preoccupations include the testing of environmentally sustainable, lower toxicity alternatives to the harmful solvents commonly used in organic synthesis and, if time were ever to permit, determining the primordial origins of homochirality in biomolecules. Dr Gale is also interested in the pedagogy of science tuition and advises and mentors staff applying for their Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
Key funded projects
- Royal Society of Chemistry Research Fund grant