Dr Dusan Ruzic

Biography

I am a scientist with a strong background in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. My research focuses on designing and synthesizing small molecules to tackle challenging biological targets, including targeted protein degradation and epigenetic regulators.

My doctoral research, conducted at the University of Belgrade and the University of East Anglia, centered on the design and synthesis of selective histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) inhibitors for cancer treatment. Collaborating with leading institutes such as Fraunhofer IME ScreeningPort (Hamburg), University of East Anglia and the Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, I contributed to the discovery of novel HDAC inhibitors with efficacy in in vitro and in vivo breast cancer models.

Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences under the supervision of Prof. Andrew Westwell, I am exploring the targeted protein degradation (TPD) approach to degrade the BCl3 protein.

Academic positions

Postdoctoral researcher (full time)                Cardiff University, Feb 2024 - present

Conducting research within the anti-cancer drug discovery field and synthesis of heterobifunctional molecules for PROTAC applications

Teaching Assistant with PhD (full time)          University of Belgrade, Mar 2015 – present

Delivering a range of teaching and assessment activities in medicinal chemistry

Research in epigenetic cancer drug discovery: computational drug design, organic synthesis