Andrew Sutherland PhD, FRSC

Andrew Sutherland was born and raised in the town of Wick in the northern Highlands of Scotland. At the age of 18, he headed south to the lowlands where after 4 years completed his B.Sc. (Hons.) degree in chemistry (1st class) at the University of Edinburgh. While there he carried out research projects on new synthetic approaches towards stable nitroxide analogs of retinal and also elucidated part of the structure of the Scrapie Prion Protein (using high-field NMR spectroscopy) both while under the supervision of Professor Bob Baxter. During his undergraduate degree, he completed various physical chemistry projects as a summer student for the Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) at Dounreay. In his final year, he won a University of Edinburgh BP scholarship.

Andrew Sutherland was awarded a University Scholarship to study for a Ph.D. at the University of Bristol under the supervision of Professor Christine Willis. The aim of his Ph.D. work was to develop the use of various oxidoreductase enzymes for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure and isotopically labeled bioactive compounds and to determine the scope of these biotransformations in organic synthesis.

Andrew Sutherland then carried out a post-doctoral fellowship (funded by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) in the laboratory of Professor John Vederas at the University of Alberta, Canada. When not climbing the Rocky Mountains or teaching the Canadians how to play football, Andy investigated diaminopimelic acid metabolism for the design of novel antibiotics. He also studied the biosynthesis of the fungal metabolite, lovastatin, and was involved in the characterization of the lovastatin nonapeptide synthase (LNKS) protein, the first purified Diels-Alderase enzyme.

Andrew Sutherland then returned to the University of Bristol to take up a junior research fellowship position working with Professor Timothy Gallagher on the design and synthesis of neuronal nicotinic receptors as well as developing new Pd(0)-a catalyzed methodology for the synthesis of small libraries of highly substituted 2-fluoropyrimidines and 2-pyridones.

In January 2003, he was appointed to a lectureship in the School of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow and currently holds the position of Professor of Organic Chemistry. He runs a research group whose work focuses on the development of radionuclide and fluorescent molecular imaging agents and new synthetic methodology for the synthesis of chiral, biologically active, and medicinally important compounds. His main interests outside chemistry include supporting the sleeping giant, Wick Academy FC. He enjoys running and is a member of the Maryhill Harriers.