Dr Matthew Lloyd – Senior Lecturer in Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery

Dr Matthew Lloyd is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Bath, with a research portfolio spanning chemical biology, enzymology, drug discovery, and cancer research. His work is internationally recognised for advancing the understanding of enzyme mechanisms and their application as therapeutic targets in oncology, metabolic disorders, and infectious diseases.

A central focus of Dr Lloyd’s research is the enzyme alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR), which is a key driver of prostate cancer aggressiveness and is implicated in other malignancies. AMACR is also a promising drug target in tuberculosis. Dr Lloyd’s group employs a multidisciplinary approach, integrating chemical biology, enzyme kinetics, rational drug design, and high-throughput screening to investigate AMACR’s reaction mechanism, develop robust activity assays, and identify selective inhibitors. Recent work has included the structural and mechanistic characterisation of AMACR, the development of new diagnostic assays, and the discovery of novel inhibitor families with potential for translation into clinical applications.

Beyond AMACR, Dr Lloyd’s research explores the metabolism of branched-chain fatty acids, which are relevant to drug metabolism (notably ibuprofen) and metabolic disease. His group’s studies have provided new insights into the biochemical pathways involved in the degradation of dietary and pharmaceutical branched-chain fatty acids, with implications for both human health and drug development.

Dr Lloyd collaborates extensively with colleagues in chemistry, pharmacology, and pharmaceutical sciences, as well as with industry partners, to translate fundamental discoveries into practical applications. His research has contributed to the development of enzyme assays for clinical diagnostics, the design of novel drug delivery systems, and the identification of new therapeutic strategies for cancer and infectious diseases. He is also involved in projects targeting enzymes that use NAD+ as an electrophile, such as tankyrases, and in the development of delivery systems for super-potent drugs.

Dr Lloyd has published around one hundred peer-reviewed articles, and his work has been cited more than 4,000 times, reflecting sustained impact in chemical biology, enzymology, and drug discovery. He is an active member of the Biochemical Society and has served on the editorial board of The Biochemist.

Keywords: Chemical Biology, Enzyme Mechanisms, Drug Discovery, Cancer Research, AMACR, Enzyme Inhibitors, Enzyme Kinetics, High-Throughput Screening, Metabolic Enzymes, Translational Pharmacology, Branched-Chain Fatty Acids, Clinical Diagnostics, Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Dr Lloyd welcomes collaborations with academic and industry partners who share an interest in advancing drug discovery, enzyme mechanisms, and translational biomedical research.