Dr David Rudd

2024 David final sync 690-435

Senior Research Scientist (Analytical Chemistry)

Dr David Rudd specialises in spectroscopic identification, mapping drug distribution by mass spectrometry imaging, and compound characterisation, including stability and formulation approaches. As an expert in MMIC, David’s work encompasses compound characterisation and identification, method development and assay development for small and large-molecule drugs.

David has a PhD in natural product chemistry from Flinders University, where his research investigated novel anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer compounds found in marine molluscs. During these studies, David gained a strong foundation of laboratory skills in high-level instrumentation. Additionally, David is a research fellow at the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, where he practises interfacing nanofabricated materials with analytical chemistry for ultrasensitive detection of drugs and their metabolites. He has also helped found a company that performs rapid and high throughput illicit drug testing in humans.

Specialty areas:

  • Mass Spectrometry imaging
  • Drug disposition studies
  • Biologics characterisation (top-down/bottom-up)
  • Small molecule characterisation
  • Preclinical assay development (stability/formulation)
  • Metabolomics/proteomics
  • Biomarker discovery
  • Nanomaterials fabrication/characterisation
  • Natural product discovery
  • A variety of analytical facilities including:
    • Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)
    • Time-of-Flight (TOF) Mass Spectrometry (MS) instruments with ESI (electrospray ionisation) and APCI (Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization)
    • Gas chromatography/ liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/LC-MS)