Fernando Durães

I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in Medicinal Chemistry, currently based in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford, where I work in the Bhattacharya Group on the development of novel therapeutics for inflammatory diseases.

My current research focuses on the design and synthesis of peptides and peptidomimetics that inhibit chemokine-mediated immune cell recruitment in type 1 diabetes (T1D). This work is supported by Breakthrough T1D and Diabetes UK. Chemokines are key signalling proteins that help recruit immune cells to the pancreatic islets, contributing to insulitis and the progressive destruction of insulin-producing β-cells. By developing chemically stable peptidomimetic modulators of chemokine pathways, my work aims to explore new therapeutic strategies to reduce pathogenic immune cell trafficking and preserve β-cell function in T1D. I am also interested in improving the stability, selectivity, and targeted delivery of these molecules.

Before joining the University of Oxford, I completed a two-year postdoctoral position at the University of Southampton, where I synthesised unnatural amino acids and peptides to develop chemical tools to investigate bacterial two-component systems.

I completed my PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, specialising in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, at the University of Porto, Portugal. My doctoral research focused on the discovery and development of biologically active small molecules with antimicrobial activity and potential application as antimicrobial agents.