Melinda Duer

FRSC
Melinda Duer at Cambridge, 2021
Born
Melinda J. Duer

(1963-10-01) 1 October 1963
NationalityBritish
EducationUniversity of Cambridge (BA, MA, PhD)
AwardsInterdisciplinary Prize (2017)
Suffrage Science award (2019)
Scientific career
FieldsBiological chemistry and biomedical Chemistry
InstitutionsUniversity of Cambridge
Robinson College, Cambridge
ThesisThe parametric probes of ligand field theory (1988)
Doctoral advisorMalcolm Gerloch
WebsiteDuer Lab
Robinson College webpage

Melinda Jane Duer FRSC is Professor of Biological and Biomedical Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, and was the first woman to be appointed to an academic position in the department. Her research investigates changes in molecular structure of the extracellular matrix in tissues in disease and during ageing. She serves as Deputy Warden of Robinson College, Cambridge.[1] She is an editorial board member of the Journal of Magnetic Resonance.[2]

Early life and education

Duer attended Sir James Smith's School, a comprehensive school in North Cornwall.[3][4][5] She enjoyed science at high school and was encouraged by her chemistry teacher to study natural sciences at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where she specialized in chemistry.[4] She was the first member of her family to attend higher education.[5][6] Duer went on to complete her PhD in 1988 in theoretical chemistry with Malcolm Gerloch, where she investigated ligand field theory.[7]

Research and career

During the course of her PhD research, Duer developed an interest in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) while chatting with Lynn Gladden who frequently worked on the spectrometer in the room opposite Duer's office at the time. Towards the end of her PhD, Duer proposed using solid-state NMR to investigate organometallic catalytic species in response to an advertised temporary lectureship in the department.[8] Thus, she became the first woman to be appointed to a lectureship in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge in 1988.[4] In 1990, she was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship.[8][9]

Duer begun her research in solid-state NMR by investigating molecular mobility in porous materials in collaboration with Gladden who has moved to the Department of Chemical Engineering.[10][11][12] She went on to investigate molecular mobility more broadly, in polymers and other solids.[8][13] With a theoretical chemistry background and through discussions with Malcolm Levitt and others, Duer also developed solid-state NMR experiments to probe anisotropic interactions, such as quadrupolar interactions[14][15][16][17] and chemical shift anisotropy.[18][19][20] In 2001 and 2004, she published two books on solid-state NMR, targeted at graduate students.[21][22]

In early 2000s, Duer pioneered the use of solid-state NMR to investigate biological tissues, including keratin[23] and bones,[24] frequently obtained from horses due to her interest in horse riding.[3] Her previous research on liquid crystal phases of polymers led her to wonder whether similar phases could form in keratin.[4]

Duer has extensively investigated the extracellular matrix, the component of biological tissues that simultaneously serves as the communication system between cells and provides a scaffold to support them. She is particularly interested in the molecular mechanisms that underpin the functions of the extracellular matrix. By understanding the structure-property relationships of biological tissue, Duer works to unravel the processes that give rise to collagenous tissue and mineralisation.[25]

Duer has investigated the calcification of blood vessels that occurs when people age.[4] She proposed that the hardening of arteries caused by the build-up of calcium may be triggered by polymeric adenosine diphosphate ribose (PAR), a molecule that is produced when the DNA inside cells is damaged.[26] One of her graduate students launched a spin-out company, Cycle Pharmaceuticals, which provides personalised treatment to patients with vascular diseases.[4] She was promoted to Professor in 2015.[4]

Duer was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry Interdisciplinary Prize in 2017,[27] and the Suffrage Science award in 2019.[28][29]

Commercial ventures

Apart from licensing novel treatment for treating vascular disease to Cycle Pharmaceuticals,[30][31] Duer is a co-founder of Cambridge Oncology Ltd.[32]

Mentoring and international development

Duer is part of the Strategic Advisory Group of the Cambridge-Africa Programme, an initiative by the University of Cambridge to strengthen research capacity with African universities and research institutions.[33] In this role, Duer mentors African academics such as Dr Mercy Badu of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.[34]

As a previous holder of the Suffrage Science award, Duer nominated Dr Mary Anti Chama of the University of Ghana for the same award in 2021.[35][36][37][38]

Selected publications

Journal articles

Books

Personal life

Duer used to be an equestrian, and has said that her interest in biological chemistry started with studying keratin in horses hooves and understanding leg fractures in one of her rescue horses.[4][5] Her other interests include cycling and competing in triathlons.

References

  1. ↑ College webpage
  2. ↑ "Melinda Duer, PhD". www.journals.elsevier.com. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Bone matters - researching the structure of bones". Alumni. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Duer, Melinda (Spring 2018). "Q&A: Melinda Duer". Chem@Cam (Interview). No. 57. Interviewed by Diane Harris. Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge. pp. 22–23. Retrieved 7 October 2023 – via www.ch.cam.ac.uk.
  5. 1 2 3 "Professor Melinda Duer - Understanding the molecular structure of biological tissues". YouTube. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  6. ↑ "Melinda Duer | Duer Research Group". www.ch.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Duer, Melinda J (1988). The parametric probes of ligand field theory (Thesis). OCLC 53521744.
  8. 1 2 3 Duer, Melinda J. (15 December 2011), "Duer, M. J.: The Power of Serendipity", in Harris, Robin K. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Magnetic Resonance, Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. emrhp1086, doi:10.1002/9780470034590.emrhp1086, ISBN 978-0-470-03459-0, retrieved 22 April 2021
  9. ↑ "Women in Chemistry, Melinda Duer | Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry". www.ch.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  10. ↑ Portsmouth, R.L.; Duer, M.J.; Gladden, L.F. (1 January 1993). "Transport in Zeolites: Application of NMR to Probe Sorption Phenomena". Proceedings from the Ninth International Zeolite Conference. pp. 37–44. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4832-8383-8.50089-1. ISBN 9781483283838.
  11. ↑ Portsmouth, R. L.; Duer, M. J.; Gladden, L. F. (1 January 1995). "2 H NMR studies of single-component adsorption in silicalite: a comparative study of benzene and p-xylene". Journal of the Chemical Society, Faraday Transactions. 91 (3): 559–567. doi:10.1039/FT9959100559. ISSN 1364-5455.
  12. ↑ Duer, M.J.; Elliott, S.R.; Gladden, L.F. (2 August 1995). "An investigation of the structural units in sodium disilicate glass: a 2-D 29Si NMR study". Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids. 189 (1–2): 107–117. doi:10.1016/0022-3093(95)00199-9. ISSN 0022-3093.
  13. ↑ Duer, Melinda J. (1 January 2001). Solid-state NMR studies of molecular motion. Annual Reports on NMR Spectroscopy. Vol. 43. pp. 1–58. doi:10.1016/S0066-4103(01)43008-0. ISBN 9780125053433. ISSN 0066-4103.
  14. ↑ Duer, Melinda J.; Stourton, Clare (1 January 1997). "Further Developments in MQMAS NMR Spectroscopy for Spin-32Nuclei". Journal of Magnetic Resonance. 124 (1): 189–199. doi:10.1006/jmre.1996.1012. ISSN 1090-7807.
  15. ↑ Duer, M.J.; Painter, A.J. (19 November 1999). "Correlating quadrupolar nuclear spins: a multiple-quantum NMR approach". Chemical Physics Letters. 313 (5–6): 763–770. doi:10.1016/S0009-2614(99)01043-X. ISSN 0009-2614.
  16. ↑ Painter, A. James; Duer, Melinda J. (27 December 2001). "Double-quantum-filtered nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy applied to quadrupolar nuclei in solids". The Journal of Chemical Physics. 116 (2): 710–722. doi:10.1063/1.1425831. ISSN 0021-9606.
  17. ↑ Ashbrook, Sharon E.; Duer, Melinda J. (2006). "Structural information from quadrupolar nuclei in solid state NMR". Concepts in Magnetic Resonance Part A. 28A (3): 183–248. doi:10.1002/cmr.a.20053. ISSN 1552-5023.
  18. ↑ Orr, Robin M.; Duer, Melinda J.; Ashbrook, Sharon E. (1 June 2005). "Correlating fast and slow chemical shift spinning sideband patterns in solid-state NMR". Journal of Magnetic Resonance. 174 (2): 301–309. doi:10.1016/j.jmr.2005.03.001. ISSN 1090-7807. PMID 15862248.
  19. ↑ Orr, Robin M.; Duer, Melinda J. (1 July 2006). "Recoupling of chemical-shift anisotropy powder patterns in MAS NMR". Journal of Magnetic Resonance. 181 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1016/j.jmr.2006.03.010. ISSN 1090-7807. PMID 16574445.
  20. ↑ Orr, Robin M.; Duer, Melinda J. (1 July 2006). "Applications of the CSA-amplified PASS experiment". Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. 30 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1016/j.ssnmr.2005.12.001. ISSN 0926-2040. PMID 16406513.
  21. ↑ Duer, Melinda J (2002). Duer, Melinda J (ed.). Solid-state NMR spectroscopy: principles and applications. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science. doi:10.1002/9780470999394. ISBN 978-0-470-99939-4. OCLC 184983770.
  22. ↑ Duer, Melinda J (2004). Introduction to solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Oxford, UK; Malden, MA: Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-4051-0914-7. OCLC 53178681.
  23. ↑ Duer, Melinda J.; McDougal, Nicky; Murray, Rachel C. (19 June 2003). "A solid-state NMR study of the structure and molecular mobility of α-keratin". Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 5 (13): 2894–2899. doi:10.1039/B302506C. ISSN 1463-9084.
  24. ↑ "Heavy mice and light things: using solid-state NMR spectroscopy to understand biological tissues in health and disease | Biological Sciences | University of Southampton". www.southampton.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  25. ↑ "Professor Melinda Duer | Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry". www.ch.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  26. ↑ "Mystery of why arteries harden may have been solved, say scientists". The Guardian. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  27. ↑ "Prizes and awards 2017". Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  28. ↑ "Suffrage Science Awards 2019: 12 role models in engineering & physical sciences awarded heirlooms". LMS London Institute of Medical Sciences. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  29. ↑ nt386 (8 July 2019). "A Suffrage Science Award for Professor Melinda Duer". Robinson College. Retrieved 17 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  30. ↑ "CYCLE Pharmaceuticals, The University of Cambridge and King's College London Partner to Repurpose PARP Inhibitor Drugs for Vascular Disease". Cycle Pharmaceuticals. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  31. ↑ "Cambridge Enterprise licenses PARP inhibitor drug IP to Cycle Pharmaceuticals". Cambridge Enterprise. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  32. ↑ "CAMBRIDGE ONCOLOGY LTD - Officers (free information from Companies House)". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  33. ↑ "Cambridge-Africa Governance :: Cambridge-Africa". www.cambridge-africa.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  34. ↑ "Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) on LinkedIn: LMS launches scheme to mentor African female scientists". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  35. ↑ "Leading women in 'Engineering and Physical Sciences' win Suffrage Science award on the scheme's tenth anniversary". LMS London Institute of Medical Sciences. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  36. ↑ "Dr. Mary Anti Chama Receives Suffrage Science Award". 12 March 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  37. ↑ "Suffrage Science Awards 2021: A Celebration of Women Changing Science". LMS London Institute of Medical Sciences. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  38. ↑ "Twitter status Mar 8, 2021. MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences". Twitter. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
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