ApconiX Welcomes Dr Duncan Armstrong
ApconiX is delighted to welcome Dr Duncan Armstrong to the team.
Duncan has expert knowledge in molecular pharmacology, preclinical safety pharmacology and secondary pharmacodynamics gained over 18 years working in drug discovery and development at AstraZeneca UK and Novartis USA. He has worked with project teams across multiple therapy areas and at all stages of discovery and development from target identification to post-marketing.
After studying for a BSc in Biochemistry at the University of Kent in the UK, Duncan went on to carry out research into the “Allosteric Regulation of the D2 Dopamine Receptor” for his PhD at the University of Reading before becoming a Post-Doctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Bath.
Duncan joined AstraZeneca as a Molecular Pharmacologist then as an Analytical Pharmacologist and finally as a Secondary Pharmacologist, in the department of Safety Pharmacology, Drug Safety and Metabolism. He moved to the US and joined Novartis as a Secondary Pharmacologist in Pre-clinical Safety. During his career he has been Co-Chair of the IQ DruSafe Secondary Pharmacology Working Group and a member of the Safety Pharmacology Society, British Pharmacological Society and as well as a member & Chartered Biologist of the Society of Biology.
Duncan (and his wife Karen) are keen on the outdoors and happily explored the Northwest of the UK and New England by bicycle before hiking the Pacific Crest Trail which runs 2500 miles from Canada to Mexico. Taking 157 days, their adventures are described in their blog.
Still wanting more adventures, they flew to Chile walking around 500 miles through Patagonia from Coyhaique to Villa O’Higgins and exploring the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile. Read their blog.
Now based back in the UK Duncan is looking forward to working with the rest of the ApconiX team. “I am joining the group of project toxicologists carrying out target safety assessments, helping clients understand both on-target and off-target safety liabilities”, Duncan commented.
Richard Knight Co-founder and Director of ApconiX added, “We both worked together at AZ on a number of oncology projects in discovery and in clinical development. Duncan is an excellent pharmacologist with a wide network and will be a really useful addition to our capabilities”.
