Dr Smedley is an early career researcher with an emerging track record in click chemistry, diversity oriented clicking, drug discovery and functionalisation, and medicinal chemistry.

Since joining MIPS in 2020, Dr Smedley has been working on an ARC Discovery grant funded program targeting novel biased bitopic ligands acting at the A₁ adenosine receptor as potential cardioprotective agents. He has also prepared series of new A_2BR agonists and A₁R positive allosteric modulators.

In other research areas, Dr Smedley conceived a novel click chemistry concept, termed Diversity Oriented Clicking which exploits the reliability of click chemistry to achieve complex molecular frameworks with ease. Dr Smedley has also discovered and developed multiple sulfur fluoride exchange (SuFEx) click chemistry methodologies including the establishment of a new SuFEx hub (1-bromoethene-1-sulfonyl fluoride) and a new amide coupling procedure for the synthesis of challenging amides.

Dr Smedley’s commitment to excellence in research can be exemplified through the high standard of impactful research I have performed as shown by a publication record in top peer-reviewed journals (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., Chem. Commun. and Chem. Eur. J.).

Research Interests

• Click Chemistry
• Sulfur Fluoride Exchange
• Diversity Oriented Clicking
• Allosteric modulators and bitopic ligands acting at G protein-coupled receptors