Douglas R. Houston, PhD
Principal Investigator
Contact details
- Email: DouglasR.Houston@ed.ac.uk
Address
- Street
-
Rm 2.12 Waddington 1 building
Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology
School of Biological Sciences
King's Buildings - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
Background
2016-Present Senior Lecturer in Computational Biochemistry, University of Edinburgh
2011-2016 Lecturer in Computational Biochemistry, University of Edinburgh
2009-2011 Scientific Program Coordinator, University of Edinburgh
2009 Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Edinburgh
2005-2008 Postdoctoral Fellow, McGill University, Montreal
2001-2005 PhD Student, University of Dundee
2001-2004 CASE Researcher, Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals Inc., Dundee
Qualifications
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
PhD Biochemistry (X-Ray Crystallography, Inhibitor Studies, Essential Dynamics, Virtual Screening), Dundee University
BSc (Hons) Biochemistry, University Edinburgh
Undergraduate teaching
Current Roles (2022-2023)
Discovery 1c (SBS 1st Year)
Structures and Functions of Proteins (Biochemistry 3rd Year)
Biochemical Techniques (Biochemistry Hons)
Structural Biology (Biochemistry Hons)
Novel Approaches (Biotechnology Hons)
Enzymology and Biological Production (Biotechnology Hons)
Biotechnology Industrial Visits and Core Skills (Biotechnology Hons)
Convener of Biotechnology Hons Exam Board
Supervisor of 1 Hons research project student
Personal Tutor
Mental Health First Aider for IQB3
Postgraduate teaching
Current Roles (2022-2023)
Programming for the Life Sciences (Biochemistry MSc) - Course Organiser and Sole Lecturer
Introduction to Python Programming for Data Science (Drug Discovery and Translational Biology MSc / Data Science for Biology MSc / Data Science and Technology Innovation MSc / Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences MSc / Data Upskilling Short Courses [Data-Driven Innovation Programme]) - Course Organiser
Biochemistry A (Biochemistry MSc)
Biochemistry B (Biochemistry MSc)
Industry and Entrepreneurship (Biotechnology MSc)
Member of Biochemistry MSc Exam Board
Mental Health First Aider for IQB3
Co-author of 9 (+2 in preparation) peer-reviewed publications with current and former Summer, Hons and MSc research project students
Supervisor of 5 MSc research project students
Edinburgh University Students' Association Teacher of the Year Nominee 2022-23 & 2023-24
Member of the EASTBIO Transformative Technologies PhD interview panel
Senior PostGraduate Adviser (PGA) for IQB3
Internal Examiner of 3 PhD theses/vivas
External Examiner of 2 PhD theses/vivas
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Areas of interest for supervision
Also open to enquiries about MRes (MScR) project supervision, including from the School of Biomedical Sciences.
Research summary
Contributed to 6 peer-reviewed scientific publications proposed for inclusion in REF 2021.
Virtual screening technology development
Methods development; improving the speed, efficiency and hit rates of ligand- and structure-based in silico (virtual) screening techniques through the implementation of Data Science, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
Example Project: Probing the roles and mechanisms of AAA+ enzymes through chemical biology
Virtual screening and molecular modelling of AAA+ oncoproteins to identify small molecule modulators of complex assembly and activity. In collaboration with Profs. Nicholas Westwood (University of St Andrews), Ted Hupp (Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre), Malcom Walkinshaw (Centre for Chemical Biology), Peter Chi (National Taiwan University) and Marc Mansour (University College London Hospital).
Current research interests
Drug discovery is the ultimate in interdisciplinary endeavours. Successfully bringing a hit molecule through the lead optimisation process to market requires understanding of pathology, physiology, cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, cheminformatics (and lately, machine and deep learning), medicinal chemistry, patent law, medicine, business management, and marketing.Past research interests
Computer Aided Design of foldamer inhibitors of high-priority cancer targets; design of stapled peptide E3 ligase protein-protein interaction disruptors through Molecular Dynamics and full-flexibility protein-ligand docking. In collaboration with Prof Ted Hupp (Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre) and Prof Alison Hulme (School of Chemistry, UoE). Discovery and design of anthelmintics; Computer Aided Discovery of inhibitors of the essential cuticle shedding phase of the nematode parasite lifecycle. In collaboration with Prof Malcolm Walkinshaw (IQB3, UoE) and Prof Anthony Page (University of Glasgow).Knowledge exchange
Invited Speaker: Houston, DR. (2021). “Computational Tools to Aid Rational Drug Design”. International Conference on Drug Discovery and Translational Medicine. https://icddtm21.macr-cancer.org/symposium
Invited Speaker/Panelist: Houston, DR. (2020) “How to deliver biomolecular science Honours research projects with limited lab bench time”. Biochemical Society Focus webinar series, 2020. https://www.biochemistry.org/events-and-training/webinars/
Invited Speaker: Houston, DR. (2019). "The utility of consensus approaches in virtual drug discovery" [Video file]. In The Biomedical & Life Sciences Collection, Henry Stewart Talks. Retrieved November 29, 2019, from https://hstalks.com/bs/4107/
Poster Presenter: Houston, DR (2018). "CODASS: Using virtual screening to target protein-peptide interactions", Innovation, Collaboration, and Entrepreneurship in Drug Discovery Conference, University of Cambridge
Invited Speaker: Houston, DR. (2017). “Virtual approaches to early stage drug discovery”, CMVM-SBS Cross-School Symposium, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
Speaker: Houston, DR. (2015). "Combining Experiment and Simulation", 4th Annual CCP-BioSim Conference - Frontiers of Biomolecular Simulation, Leeds
Project activity
CACHE2 competition participant
CACHE3 competition participant
https://cache-challenge.org/challenges/Finding-ligands-targeting-the-macrodomain-of-sars-cov-2-nsp3
The CACHE Challenges are similar to CASP (of AlphaFold fame), but the prize is for the accurate prediction of protein-ligand binding rather than protein structure.
HecBioSim
Recipient of 5 HecBioSim facility awards for compute time on ARCHER2, the UK's national supercomputer: https://www.hecbiosim.ac.uk/
Current Collaborations (2023)
Sander Granemman, Associate Professor, IQB3, UoE: https://sandergranneman.bio.ed.ac.uk/
Michał R. Szymański, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Gdansk: https://mrslab.ug.edu.pl/
Marc Mansour, Professor, UCL Hospital: https://www.uclh.nhs.uk/our-services/find-consultant/dr-marc-mansour
Simon Wilkinson, Reader, Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre: https://www.ed.ac.uk/cancer-centre/research/wilkinson-group
Jeyaprakash Arulanandam, Wellcome Senior Research Fellow, WCCB, UoE: https://www.wcb.ed.ac.uk/research/arulanandam
Malcolm Walkinshaw, Professor, WCCB, UoE: https://www.wcb.ed.ac.uk/research/walkinshaw
Richard Lathe, Professor, Edinburgh Medical School: https://www.ed.ac.uk/infection-medicine/our-staff/associate-members/professor-richard-lathe
Qualified Gym Instructor (Active IQ Level 2)
Qualified Motorcycle Mechanic (SCQF Level 4)
SACU licensed motorcycle track rider & winner of Knockhill Man of the Track 2013
Licensed Light Drone Operator (Civil Aviation Authority)
Married 09/2020 with one child born 11/2022, and owner of one very large labradoodle called Rollo.