The late Professor Chris McGuigan, remembered one year on

A year after the untimely passing of Cardiff University’s Professor Chris McGuigan, colleagues, friends and family members have come together for a Memorial Research Symposium to commemorate the significant contribution he made to drug discovery and development during his lifetime.

Professor McGuigan passed away on 11th March 2016, having devoted 25 years to pharmaceutical science with three New Chemical Entities progressing from his lab to clinical trials in man.

As Professor of Medicinal Chemistry in Cardiff’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences since 1994, as well as the Chairman of Life Sciences Hub Wales Limited (funded by the Welsh Government) and Director of the Life Sciences Research Network Wales, Prof McGuigan was an expert in nucleosides that dominate current antiviral drugs.  His work also impacted on anti-cancer treatment helping countless patients fight the disease.

Professor McGuigan also held numerous high-profile and influential roles within the pharmaceutical industry and had over 220 peer reviewed scientific publications with over 100 patents filed.

In recognition of the outstanding contribution made by Professor McGuigan, a Memorial Research Symposium was held on 14th February at the Hilton Hotel, Cardiff. The event was attended by over 100 guests and was a fitting celebration of Chris’ life and work.

Professor Gary Baxter, Head of Cardiff University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences said, “Although the unexpected and premature loss of Chris McGuigan shocked all who knew and worked with him, the subsequent outpouring of admiration and affection came as little surprise. While rigorous in his attention to the detail of his scientific work, Chris was constantly attentive to his broader social responsibility to educate, support and train the next generation of scientists, and to communicate and apply his discoveries for the benefit of all. The Symposium was a fitting tribute to honour the work of a knowledge creator, an educator and an entrepreneur, as well as a true gentleman and good friend to so many.”