A leading Dundee University scientist and entrepreneur has won a major prize for innovation.
Professor Andrew Hopkins, has been named commercial innovator of the year by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
He is founder and chief executive of ex scientia, a university spin-out company which pioneers the development of more effective medicines for a wide range of diseases,
The BBSRC award makes it a hat-trick for Professor Hopkins.
Earlier this year he won the Scottish Enterprise award for Life Sciences Entrepreneurial Business Leadership, and in 2014 ex scientia was named Young Business of the Year at the Courier Business Awards.
He has raised a total of £30 million for academic and commercial research in Scotland in the past two years.
As an entrepreneur, he has created a second commercial company, Kinetic Discovery Ltd.
Professor Hopkins is also director of Sulsa (Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance) and chairman of medicinal informatics at Dundee.
He was nominated for his latest award for his pioneering work in algorithmic drug design.
Ex scientia is developing medicines tailored to polypharmacology for a wide range of human diseases where improved efficacy is required.
He said: “I’m delighted for my team that our work at ex scientia, Sulsa and the College of Life Sciences has been recognised at a UK level.
“This win highlights the tremendous strengths we have here in Dundee, not only in research but applying that research in innovative ways that carry real impact.”
The BBSRC award brings Professor Hopkins £15,000 to support research, â¨training or other activities promoting economic or social impact.
The finalists were judged by an expert panel who looked for innovators who have worked the hardest and gone the furthest to take their science out of the lab to deliver impact.
Innovator of the Year aims to promote excellence by recognising successful approaches to innovation and impact in the biosciences.
Dundee’s biological sciences research was last year rated top in the UK.
Article from The Courier
