Dr Sianne Schwikkard

Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education
Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry
Penrhyn Road
Health, Education and Society

Senior lecturer

[email protected]

About

I completed my PhD in Natural Products Chemistry at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa in 1998. The complexity and beauty of natural compounds fascinated me and has led to a life-long pursuit of both novel compounds from plant sources as well as the synthesis of these compounds. Plants can produce a range and diversity of chemical entities unparalleled by synthetic efforts and displaying an unsurprising range of biological activities. My research career was developed through a post-doctoral fellowship at Virginia Tech under Professor David Kingston, followed by a post-doctoral position at the Rand Academic University under Professor Fanie Van Heerden. I spent a short 18 months working in the petrochemical industry for Sasol Technology before relocating to the UK and working for Professor Keith Jones at Kingston University.

I spent 11 years as a part-time lecturer at Kingston University and research associate at Surrey University before I joined Kingston University full time in September 2015.

While at the University of Surrey, I was awarded a Daphne Jackson Fellowship and I have maintained links with the Daphne Jackson Trust.

Qualifications

PhD (Natural Products, University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa)
MSc
BSc (Hons)
BSc
AFHEA
FHEA

Domains

My background in natural products and synthetic organic chemistry has allowed me the opportunity to teach across all three departments in the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry. This had given me an appreciation for the challenges faced by students across the school.

Having lived and worked in three different countries in very different parts of the world (South Africa, America and UK) gives me a broad experience and sympathy for students from a diverse range of backgrounds, facing a diverse range of challenges in their education.

Having completed the AFHEA and the FHEA has provided me with the necessary skills to engage and challenge different students with different educational needs.

I was the lead for the Personal Tutor Scheme for the Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science from 2018-2023. The personal and tailored support a personal tutor can provide for a student has a positive impact on their university experience and can significantly impact on their academic success. In addition it is essential that the academic staff acting as personal tutors have adequate support as the role can be challenging. It was my privilege to work with colleagues across the department to develop an excellent program of support for our students.

Keeping on the fore front of my research field positively impacts on my teaching as I am better able to inspire my students with relevant and novel research in their chosen fields of study. Teaching should always include cutting edge research in the field to ensure that students are aware of new developments and challenges.

I am currently Course Director for Chemistry as well as Admissions Tutor for the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and work closely with our recruitment and outreach team. In addition I have established a collaboration with the EDT (Engineering Development Trust). This is an organisation working to promote STEM subjects and encourage school leavers to consider STEM careers. This has allowed our staff to deliver workshops and lectures to school leavers throughout the UK.

Qualifications

AFHEA
FHEA

Course director

Chemistry BSc (Hons)

Courses taught

I have an interest in bioactive natural products, both isolated from plant sources as well as their synthetic analogues. My two main areas of research are eye diseases characterised by neovascularisation and the development of new drugs targeting drug resistant bacteria. I have a particular interest in compounds known as homoisoflavonoids, isolated primarily from the Hyacinthaceae (Asparagaceae). These compounds have a range of interesting biological activities including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic effects. They have been identified as potential new sources of treatment for macular degeneration and other eye diseases characterised by angiogenesis.

My work on macular degeneration is carried out in collaboration with the University of Surrey and the University of Toronto (previously University of Indiana). The work has been highlighted by this article in the Daily Mail

In addition, I am collaborating with Professor Raid Alany and Dr Ali Al-Kinani to look at the effect of these compounds on diseases of the cornea.

Together with Dr Alison Kelly of Kingston University (microbiology) we are investigating the effect of natural products and synthetic analogues of natural products on antibiotic resistant bacteria. We are looking at compounds isolated from East African Croton species as well as curcumin and piperidone derivatives. Work has also begun on the effect of Ardisia extracts and isolates on Leishmaniasis (together with Dr Lizzie Wadsworth, Kingston University).

An ongoing and highly productive collaboration with the Jodrell laboratory and the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew has allowed me to investigate interesting and under researched plant species as well as allowing my students to experience this world class laboratory.

I am first supervisor for 1 PhD student, 1 MRes student and second supervisor for 4 PhD students. I have 3 completions for MSc by research as first supervisor and 1 as second supervisor, as well as, 4 PhD completions as second supervisor (University of Surrey and Kingston University) and 1 as first supervisor.

Qualifications

Natural Products Chemistry
Synthesis of Natural products
Chromatography
Spectroscopy

Specialisms

Natural products Chemistry
Synthesis of Natural products
Chromatography
Spectroscopy

Scholarly affiliations

Royal Society of Chemistry
Society for Medicinal Plants and Natural products Research (GA)

Publications

A transformative formulation approach for generating durable, eco-friendly superhydrophobic coatings

Sadler, Emma, Diaz, Brenda Resendiz, Schwikkard, Sianne, Bear, Joseph C. and Crick, Colin R., 2026, Materials Advances, E-pub ahead of print

Dr Sianne Schwikkard

About

Qualifications

Domains

Teaching and learning

Research

Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact

Leadership and management

Publications

Articles

Conference Items

Gallery of work

Hyacinthaceae plant containing homoisoflavonoids

Presenting in Kenya at the Newton Fund and UK Research Council Collaborative Conference 2017

Hannah Denison (PhD student) presenting at the GA conference in Dublin 2023

Kingston University, Surrey University and Collaborators from University of Indiana at Wisley Gardens 2023