RSC Jeremy Knowles Talk: Professor Zoë Waller

Professor Zoё Waller is a professor of drug discovery at University College, London.

She graduated with a MChem in Chemistry with Pharmaceutical and Forensic Science from the University of Bradford, in 2005 and then completed a PhD in Chemical Biology from the University of Cambridge, UK, under the supervision of Professor Sir Shankar Balasubramanian FMedSci, FRS. Zoё’s thesis was based on the design, properties and function of small molecule ligands which interact with G-quadruplex DNA.

After completing her PhD she gained further teaching experience within the secondary education sector before taking up a position as Senior Demonstrator in Medicinal Chemistry in the School of Ph*rm*cy at UEA. After a brief period working in industry at HFL Sport Science Zoё returned to UEA in late 2010 as a Junior Lecturer in Chemical Biology. They were promoted to Lecturer in 2014 and Senior Lecturer in 2017. Zoё moved to UCL School of Ph*rm*cy in July 2020 in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry as an Associate Professor in Drug Discovery. She was promoted to Professor in 2024 and is currently Head of Research Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry.

In 2022 Zoё was awarded UCL a Provost Teaching Award for “Innovation and Transformation, with a focus on building learning communities” and a Pearson Silver Award for “Most innovative approach to engaging students using education technology.” This work was also recognised in 2024, through the Royal Society of Chemistry Horizon Education Prize. Zoё was the recipient of the 2024 Chemical Biology and Bio-Organic Group Lecturer for their "outstanding contribution to the chemical biology community and her exceptional research achievements on the stability and function of DNA i-motifs". In 2025 Zoё won the Royal Society of Chemistry Jeremy Knowles Award for "contributions to our understanding of nucleic acid i-motif structure and function in a cellular context using chemical tools and structural methods to unveil new therapeutic opportunities".

Zoё is Chair of the Royal Society of Chemistry Degree Accreditation Committee and a STEM Ambassador. They are a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). Zoё’s research interests are centred around the structure and function of i-motif nucleic acids and their research is currently supported by the BBSRC and the Leverhulme Trust.

Join us in person to hear Zoë discuss her prize-winning research spanning DNA i-motifs. Lunch will be served in the Dalton Building prior to her talk.

12:00 - 13:00 - Lunch and networking

13:00 - 14:00 - CBBG Lectureship Prize lecture

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