MIPS researchers take home prestigious awards for outstanding contributions to medicinal chemistry

Professor Peter Scammells and Dr Mahta Mansouri.

29 April 2025

Two Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) researchers have received awards at the recent Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology 2025 Conference.

Professor Peter Scammells has received the Adrien Albert Award for ‘sustained, outstanding research in the field of medicinal chemistry’ and Dr Mahta Mansouri was the successful recipient of the Graham Johnston Best Thesis Award.

The RACI awards acknowledge individuals who have made invaluable contributions to the realm of Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology, honouring those “who illuminate the path of knowledge and inspire future generations.”

Adrien Albert Award - Professor Peter Scammells

The recipient of this award is invited to present a lecture at a RACI Medicinal Chemistry & Chemical Biology Division Conference to showcase their research.

As Associate Dean of Research for Monash University’s world-leading Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences (home to MIPS), Professor Scammells’ career spans decades of research focused on the design and synthesis of cancer therapeutics; new methodology for the preparation of semi-synthetic opioid pharmaceuticals; GPCR allosteric modulators, and the development of M1 and M17 aminopeptidase inhibitors as antimalarial agents.

Professor Scammells' and his team has contributed substantially to organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry and chemical biology literature, having published over 220 peer reviewed research articles, reviews and book chapters in these areas which have attracted >11,000 citations (H-index 56). Additionally, his research programs have attracted >$A 20 Million in external project grant funding.

Professor Scammell’s has held various leadership positions across both education and research within Monash, along with external leadership roles including Chair of the Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology of the RACI from 2016-2020 and his recent appointment by the Board of the Australian Research Council (ARC) to its College of Experts.

Graham Johnston Best Thesis Award - Dr Mahta Mansouri

This award recognises and encourages young research scientists at the beginning of their careers and is given for the best PhD thesis conferred in the previous two years in the field of Medicinal Chemistry and/or Chemical Biology. The award winner is invited to present a lecture at a RACI Medicinal Chemistry & Chemical Biology Division Conference to showcase their research.

During her time at Monash University, Dr Mansouri’s PhD and thesis focused on aminopeptidase inhibitors as antimalarials working in the Scammells lab at MIPS and the McGowan lab at Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute.

The award-winning thesis details the work done on the design, synthesis and characterisation of a new class hydroxamic acid containing compounds as aminopeptidase inhibitors. Through her work, Dr Mansouri outlines the way in which these exciting novel compounds were found to be potent dual Plasmodium M1 and M17 inhibitors with good activity in drug-sensitive and drug-resistance strains of P. falciparum (the deadly malaria parasite).

Dr Mansouri’s thesis was examined by leading Australian and international experts with highly positive reports where both examiners recommended the award of degree without further amendments or examination.

Since joining WEHI as a postdoctoral researcher in 2023, Dr Mansouri uses her medicinal chemistry knowledge to develop small molecule inhibitors as immuno-oncology therapeutics, in addition to multiple other projects.

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