profile pic of francis osei

Francis Osei

Francis graduated from the School of Chemistry in 2020 after completing his Masters degree in Chemical Biology and Drug Design

Postgraduate studies

Francis had always wanted to take a unique masters degree course. He was searching for a course that will serve as a backbone to achieving his dreams. He said, “I had the desire to make drugs to save lives because of the struggles my Aunty went through when battling with kidney failure. Upon thorough research, I found the Chemical Biology and Drug Design MSc to be the right choice for me because it bridges the gap between using chemical ideas to biological/medical problems and the inventive process of discovering new medications to solve these problems. Furthermore, the School of Chemistry is equipped with ultramodern laboratory facilities and have a friendly and supportive comminuty of staff to help students accomplish their dreams.”

I found the Chemical Biology and Drug Design MSc to be the right choice for me because it bridges the gap between using chemical ideas to biological/medical problems and the inventive process of discovering new medications to solve these problems.

picture of francis oseiFrancis had no experience in drug design or medicinal chemistry before coming to Leeds, so he admitted that he struggled in the first few months of his studies. However, with perseverance and hard work, he was able to catch up – starting from the basics from chemical reaction mechanisms to understanding whatever that was been taught. 

He said, “the experiences and knowledge I gained from my Computer-Aided Drug Design, Medicinal Chemistry Strategy and Synthesis in Drug Discovery modules were invaluable, as they emphasised on applying theoretical knowledge into practical use. To be a drug design scientist, one should understand the mechanisms governing synthesis in drug discovery, medicinal chemistry strategy and should be able to appreciate how proteins interact with ligands or other proteins to exert an effect.

My friends and the staff at the department were friendly and always willing to help. Their doors were always opened to me and I always felt accepted into the department. It really helped to be in studying in a friendly environment. Now that I have graduated, I can confidently say I am on the right path of being a successful scientist in the field of drug discovery. Leeds will forever remain in my heart.”

Leeds will forever remain in my heart.

Masters project

“My masters project was on the ‘Development of Inhibitors of the Human Mitochondrial Chaperonin, HSPD1’. The aim was to design novel inhibitors and improve the potency and stability of an existing lead inhibitor to treat Glioblastoma Multiforme. This was done by employing computational tools to determine the putative binding sites of the protein target, HSPD1, design inhibitors with similar properties to the discovered lead molecule and predict their pharmacokinetic properties.”

Hspdi protein

These are HSPD1 protein targets generated from the Protein Data Bank, PDB. A: HSPD1:HSPE1 Complex (PDB ID – 6MRC), B: HSPD1 7-mer (PDB ID – 6ZG2).

Public speaking

“I was never comfortable with public speaking. This, I found was always a hindrance to my academic performance. Emerging topics in Chemical Biology, a module I took during my masters degree course helped me improved on my public speaking, writing and presentation skills. Furthermore, the module aids to acknowledge the merits of using various experimental approaches to a specific scientific problem and their significance in vast biological circumstances.

In my opinion, this module taught me how I can/ should conduct independent research, develop individuality, learn and improve upon my scientific writing, presentation skills and above all, increased my affinity to reading research papers which kept me updated on similar research going on in different institutes.

I fought hard, regardless of the pandemic, and achieved a distinction. I would say everything is possible under the sun, so long there is life. Quitting should never be our option.” 

I fought hard, regardless of the pandemic, and achieved a distinction.