Academic involved in Neglected Tropical Diseases global network honoured with prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry prize

The Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, which features an academic from Kingston University, has won a prestigious prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

Senior lecturer in medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry, Dr Hachemi Kadri, is part of the network which is a large and diverse team of chemists, biologists and parasitologists spanning three continents and six countries working collaboratively towards a common goal of developing new solutions for neglected tropical diseases.

The network has been named winner of the RSC’s Rita and John Cornforth Award, one of the RSC’s Horizon Prizes, for its development of new tools to deliver the identification and chemical and genetic validation of multiple new drug targets for both Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease – two particularly impactful diseases with more than 20 million people currently infected, mostly in low- and middle-income countries.

Currently the few drugs that are available to treat these diseases exhibit serious side effects, including severe nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeats, kidney impairments pancreatitis and severe muscle and joint pain. The drugs also have prolonged and/or painful modes of administration, while antimicrobial resistance is also a major problem. The network is working to develop new tools and identify new drug targets and drug leads to address these issues.

Dr Kadri, along with his fellow network members, have each received individual recognition for the award, while the wider team will receive a trophy and a video showcasing their work.

Discussing his delight and pride at receiving the award, Dr Kadri said the accolade recognised the dedication put in by all the members. “It reflects a global collaborative effort to tackle neglected tropical diseases affecting over a billion people. This work has been a key stage in my research development and I am proud to continue building on it to deliver real-world impact and support global health equity.”

CEO of the RSC Dr Helen Pain said the purpose of the Horizon Prizes is to recognise those pioneering new techniques, technologies, innovations and discoveries. “They reflect the worldwide impact and importance of the chemical sciences, and the ways in which individuals across the spectrum of chemistry-related roles, professions and sectors can come together and contribute their expertise to solving global problems. 

“I extend my warmest congratulations to the members of Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. Winning an RSC Prize is a remarkable achievement. Our winners are exceptional role models for our communities, and we’re so pleased to be celebrating such an extraordinary cohort this year.”

• Find out more about the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases and its work.