Elyse Williams

Background

About Elyse Williams

Studying medicinal chemistry, I completed my BSc(Hons)(First Class) in 2016 under the supervision of Dist. Prof. Margaret Brimble at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and continued into my PhD in 2017. My PhD research was focused on the synthesis of bioactive cyclic peptides, in particular using enzymes and photocatalysis for peptide modification. In 2019, I spent 5 months abroad in the Roelfes group at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, where I studied the use of photocatalysis and enzymatic hydrazone formation for the modification of proteins. After returning to New Zealand, I completed my PhD thesis entitled "Chemo-enzymatic strategies towards the total synthesis of Lexapeptide", and begun my work as a research assistant in the Hartrampf Lab (UZH) in 2021. After successfully defending my PhD thesis, I continued my work with Prof. Nina Hartrampf (UZH) as a postdoctoral researcher funded by the Forschungskredit (UZH Candoc) and Legerlotz fellowships. My research then lead me to a collaboration with Novartis (Switzerland) in 2023. In September 2024, I started my career as a Scientific Officer at the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO). Working with the Awards Division team at HFSPO, we support postdoctoral, early career, and established researchers by funding high-risk projects in the life sciences. Our focus is on international and interdisciplinary collaborations looking to uncover the mysteries of the living world through innovative science.